


The yoga instructor

by Hbsj



Series: HermionexDraco fics [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Animal Abuse, BAMF Hermione Granger, BAMF Narcissa Black Malfoy, Cage Fights, Case Fic, Dragons, Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Fluffy Ending, Fun, Good Draco Malfoy, Happy Ending, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hatchlings, Head Auror Harry Potter, Humor, Kidnapping, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Mystery, Not Epilogue Compliant, POV Alternating, POV Draco Malfoy, POV Hermione Granger, Post-Hogwarts, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Sex, Sexual Tension, Tension, Torture, Work In Progress, Yoga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-07-23 06:53:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 35
Words: 150,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16153892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hbsj/pseuds/Hbsj
Summary: Sparks fly as a reluctant Draco attends Hermione's yoga class and their mutual dislike is still firmly in place! Only she needs his help with a mysterious case of missing dragon eggs, muggle involvement, a mole at the ministry and a shady dragon fighting-ring!Warnings: M-rating for language and smut later, plus some Ron-bashing.Dramione romance, humor, mystery and drama! WIP





	1. Him

**The yoga instructor**

**Warnings: M-rating for smut/lemons later and for language in all chapters, don't read if you're not old enough. Warnings for some graphic descriptions of animal fights. **Additional warning for this fic: Some Ron-bashing later on****

**Post-Hogwarts, some things I've kept according to canon but since this is a Dramione it's definitely EWE.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of it, except the plot. All recognizable from the HP universe belongs to JKR, ** **unfortunately. **  
********

* * *

**Hi and welcome to my new fic: The yoga instructor!**

**This fic is not about yoga much (surprise!), it mainly works as the catalyst for the fic (it is very important however!) and is centered on Hermione and Draco with a large ensemble cast of various characters from the Potter-verse.**  
**It's a work in progress and I am posting as I go along but I expect to end the fic at about 35 chapters or so. Maybe. My muse is annoyingly often fickle in those respects.**  
**Anyway, I really hope you'll enjoy this romantic-comedy/mystery/drama-fic!**

**HBSJ**

* * *

 

**Chapter 1, Him**

Draco was having a long day at work. He had gone over several contracts, deals and inquiries at the Ministry but somehow he couldn't keep his focus on his work in the Department of Magical Law where it needed to be. It was all Pansy's fault. She had enlisted him for a trip to muggle London later today and he was not happy about it. Usually she would go with Blaise, Daphne, or even Theo occasionally but as they all were busy today, she had turned to him and no matter how many times he'd said no, she'd kept on badgering him until he had finally relented at dinner with Pansy and Blaise the day before yesterday.

Pansy had jumped up and down and promised him solemnly that he would enjoy himself today, a sentiment he highly doubted. He knew Pansy ventured into muggle London twice a week for something she called yoga. It sounded horrible to him, a lot of stretching to boring music, what was the point of that? And lo and behold, he had agreed to go. His primary motivation was to get Pansy to stop bothering him, to see what all the fuss was about and then to have a good laugh at Blaise the next time he saw the man over a glass of firewhiskey, since the man accompanied his fiancée to this yoga-thing quite often.

Just as he finished that happy thought, he heard the tell-tale clacking of heels moving in the direction of his office. Pansy sauntered in, a big bright smile plastered on her face, he scowled.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing-" She sighed still smiling, "-I just had a chat with the instructor, and todays yoga-class is going to be... interesting."

"Did you just come from muggle London?" He couldn't imagine how else Pansy had just spoken with the instructor of a muggle training-thing.

"No, the instructor is a muggleborn witch, she works in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

He was a bit taken aback, no doubt Pansy had planned on that before entering his office, he hadn't known Pansy for that many years without being able to know how her mind worked and Pansy could no doubt see the shock of her words on his face.

Her smile broadened. "She and another instructor have switched days, so she's our instructor today. I hadn't really planned on that but now that I think about it, it's going to be a fantastic class tonight".

"Who is the instructor then?" He asked drolly. He knew she wanted him to ask. This was certainly the reason she had decided to interrupt him now. He watched her closely when he asked the question and her face turned distinctly mischievous.

"You'll see tonight and I am looking so very much forward to it. I'll bring you some of the yoga clothes that Blaise normally wears. I'm sure you'll wear some horrid Quidditch practice clothes if left to your own devices."

With that she left his office and he got a sinking feeling. He was sure tonight would be horrible.

* * *

Yesterday at tea with his mother at the Manor, he'd explained the basics of what he suspected he had promised Pansy to do the next day. His mother had seemed quite horrified but as Pansy did go to the classes regularly, she wouldn't give him an excuse to cancel. He'd even _begged_.

"Mother, please. Couldn't you just need me for something or other around the Manor or for one of your events?"

Narcissa Malfoy looked piercingly at her son. She was dresses immaculately as always in a dark burgundy long sleeved dress, black high heeled boots, minimal makeup with dark red lips and her hair piled in an elegant style on her head. Her spirit had almost been broken by the war and having the Dark Lord as a house guest but she had rallied after her husband's sentence of life imprisonment after the second wizarding war. She visited Lucius once a month and otherwise spent her days organizing charities and company events and found some sort of solace in that. In general she was happy with what she had in life, she missed her husband terribly but she understood that the wizarding world could not forgive his choices as easily as they had forgiven herself and her son. And in spite of the result of both their trials, even they were not forgiven by all.

"No Draco. It seems to me that Miss Parkinson knows exactly what she is doing and to be honest dear, it would be good for you not to have yet another night in that small flat of yours. You need to get out and meet new people. Do you not realize that I have a larger acquaintance than you? At this rate I will be positively ancient before I have a grandchild."

He rolled his eyes. His mother had been distraught when he and Astoria Greengrass had broken up but it hadn't really been a relationship to begin with. It was a series of dates instigated by his mother and her parents. The witch was distinctly uninspiring. Within a few months they had decided to call it quits and he had now been a single man for three years. He'd had the odd distraction every now and then in the form of a pretty woman but mostly he kept to himself, focusing on work and maintaining the few friendships he had, even though his public reputation seemed to exaggerate the number of women he'd been seeing.

"Please try to relax Mother, I am not yet that old. I am sure I will find someone to settle down with."

"I know that dear but you aren't even in a relationship. These things take years. You know I love you and you are my only close family. We have Andromeda and Teddy too but our family is diminishing. The war has been hard on both us and Andromeda's family. Besides, I want you to be happy."

"I am happy." He said this with force in his voice and he knew without looking at his mother that she didn't believe him at all.

"My dear Lucius is in Azkaban and he will remain there for the rest of his life. Even though the dementors are not there anymore, it is a miserable place. I have many doubts that he will live long. You and I were very lucky. We each had our reservations regarding the Dark Lords regime, yours more rational than mine, I might add, and thanks to the witness of Mr. Potter and Miss Granger at our trials, we are free to live our lives as we choose. Even now people still sneer at me when I go out in public but I am free and I plan to make the most of it. And so should you my love." She looked at her only son with love in her eyes and just a single tear threatening to fall.

Draco let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. His mother had never spoken so openly about that dark period of their lives, nor given him such powerful advice. She was not finished though.

"You have isolated yourself from the world in general, from the Malfoy business and the legacy that is rightfully yours. You are still the one who has inherited everything from your father. While I manage the Manor in your place, you have left the business to be run by a stranger and drowned yourself in dealings in the Ministry. I applaud you of course, as you work to return the respect and awe of our name in the public sentiment but at some point, I would wish you would again be proud to be a Malfoy in your heart. We are not all bad you know." She gave him a small smile. He was entranced by her words. "Lucius was a good man who was blinded by the Dark Lord during the first wizarding war and in the end, it cost him both his freedom and his family. I know you will never do the same but darling, please do not let his bad choices cloud your future. I know you well and I wish you to remember this: You are worth the love of a good woman, be she a witch or a muggle. To me it does not matter anymore and I want to be crystal clear about this. I know you have lots of love in you to give, even though you do conceal it and I only wish you to be happy."

He didn't really know what to say. He could only choke out a few words. "Thank you mother. I… I will try."

After that she cleared her throat, stood up and proceeded to explain her next event to him. His mother was always planning some kind of event and since it was fall, she was planning the Malfoy Enterprises Christmas party. To him, the name of the party seemed wrong, his mother didn't just do parties, she did balls, so all of her parties were strictly finest dress robes or black tie affairs. She rattled of all of her plans and even showed him a board with a sketch of the venue. He returned home after dinner, his mother's earlier words circling his brain continually.

* * *

He met Pansy in the atrium at five thirty and she still had that horrid smug smile on her face. He had seriously considered cancelling for the tenth time that afternoon but no, he had agreed to go and he would just have to endure it.

They would be apparating to an alley beside the yoga studio and Pansy had promised him dinner afterwards, so at least he had something to look forward to. He just had to get through the next hour or so.

As they arrived, he was surprised to see that the class was being held in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of London. The warehouse looked awful from the outside, paint was peeling and the banister for the stairs inside was very rickety, he looked at Pansy with a very dubious look on his face and she just told him to hurry because she wanted a good place inside the studio. He had no idea what she was talking about, so he just shrugged and went in to the changing room. He took off his black shoes, slacks and dark grey shirt and donned Blaise's thin sweats and t-shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror and he looked completely ridiculous, he never wore clothes like this and the fit was horrible. But he'd come this far, so he closed his locker and proceeded into the studio as Pansy had called it.

He stopped in the entrance and stared, it was a semi-large room with mirrors covering one wall, hard wood floor and full of women. To be fair, maybe it held about twenty women and one other man but to Draco this confirmed all of his suspicions regarding yoga, this was clearly not for him. Pansy ran forward, placed herself directly in the front of the mirror, just a few steps back to the left from the instructors mat and bag. He thought this was alarmingly close to whoever was teaching the class, so he took his mat that Pansy had placed right beside her and proceeded to the back of the room. There was no way he was going to make a fool of himself in the front row. He decided to copy everyone else, so he placed his mat and sat down with his legs crossed and waited.

At six on the dot the instructor entered the room and since everyone now had risen, he couldn't see the instructor but he heard her voice and he froze. No… It wasn't possible. Pansy would never do this to him. When he rose fully, he could literally feel Pansy's glee. She had done this on purpose. That woman was going to pay. He looked behind Pansy directly into a pair of confused chocolate brown eyes, she frowned at him and looked at Pansy with a sudden ominous expression. She took a deep breath and looked towards the class awaiting her instructions.

He could not believe it. _Fucking hell!_ Pansy had taken him to Gryffindor Princess Granger's yoga class. Pansy was definitely going to pay big-time.


	2. Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Some Ron-bashing in this chapter

Hermione had a very good day, she had solved a complicated case regarding the centaurs in a southern forest of England and both the centaur's leader and her boss were happy with the solution she had come up with. She always took on the departments most complicated cases, wishing to better the lives of the creatures she worked with. It required concentration, skill, diplomacy and knowledge of ministry rules and decrees along with the creatures' pride, talents, wishes and demands. In short, she utterly loved her job. However, her job was not much of a help with regards to outside interests. She immersed herself so completely in every case that she sometimes didn't even look at her watch until seven or eight in the evening. She had one indulgence, one thing she would leave her all important work for, as the schedule was regular every week, her yoga classes.

After the war she had needed some distance, some perspective from everything. It had all been so overwhelming. Ron had expected a relationship, which she had wanted of course, but it hadn't seemed right somehow. They were just too different. They had tried, certainly but after some time the glamour of being the Golden Couple, their mutual love and affection had dwindled back into friendship even though they still lived together. She loved him very much, just as she loved her parents, Harry, Ginny, the Weasleys and all of those other important people in her life. But she wasn't in love with Ron anymore. He was bored with her love of work and reading, saying she should be home more or come out with him more. She was annoyed with his lack of enthusiasm for staying in at night and all kinds of house work, he hated doing dishes and cleaning even though they cleaned by magic. He kept complaining that they should get a house elf to do the cleaning. Usually Hermione had regarded this as a joke, he knew perfectly well that she would never agree to such a thing but one day in March they both exploded.

"We need a house elf Hermione. I can't clean one more piece of cutlery, it's bloody awful!"

She looked at him, incredulous. She had heard him complaining about this since they moved in together in August almost two years ago and had dismissed it every time but she could tell that this time he was perfectly serious. She tried a gentle approach, knowing how he felt about things like this.

"Ron, this is not much work, we're not cleaning the dishes by hand. We'll be done in five minutes."

"But I have to go! I have to meet up with Harry, the Quidditch game will start in an hour and we need good seats!"

"I'm sure you can do that five minutes from now, Ron."

"This is ridiculous", he sulked, "We're celebrities, we're the bleeding Golden Couple, we shouldn't have to clean our own dishes or our house. Hermione, we have to get a house elf!"

At this, her temper rose very quickly. "Do you hear how full of yourself you are?! Do you really think you are that important?! Do you honestly believe that you have better rights than another being, just because you don't like to do dishes?! Do you think I would ever agree to us getting a house elf?!" She had completely abandoned the dishes now and was howling at him, red faced and brown bushy hair flying.

He stepped back, astonishment and anger on his face. "Well, obviously you don't understand all of the claims on my time! You always work and think of nothing else but your all important work! When I'm home, I want to relax! Not clean the bloody house!"

He threw down the plate he was holding and stomped out the door. Hermione was left staring dumbfounded at the door and then waved her wand automatically, repairing the plate. It was by no means their first fight but it was the first time he'd ever left in anger. It wouldn't be the last though. Through the following months their rows became more and more frequent and he left their flat after most fights in anger.

Everything changed one day in September, they seemed to both be trying hard to make their relationship work and she thought they were on the right path. He was at a Quidditch game that Saturday and she wanted to surprise him with a romantic dinner at home afterwards, so they could put all of the fights behind them and move forward. She readied the food and got into a long shower and put on her new bought-for-the-occasion dress. She was ready. She applied a minimum of makeup and jewellery and she was happy with her look. She hoped Ron would be too.

She was ready at five, he was supposed to be home at five thirty but at seven he still hadn't showed. She started to worry about him but he was with Harry so they would be fine… Plus she knew how to spend her time, so she ate some dinner and sat on the couch in the lounge in front of the floo with a good book and waited.

At ten thirty, just as she started thinking about going to bed, he finally showed up, completely drunk and incoherent. She helped him to their bed and they both stumbled through the flat. He kept saying random words, such as "Good game… More drinks… Come here… Fun… No more fights… Lav…Come here Lav." He smiled and she froze at the last sentence. That could only mean one thing: Lavender Brown. She knew she wouldn't get anything coherent out of him in the state he was in, so she plopped him onto their bed and grabbed her pillow and duvet and went to sleep on the sofa. It was a bit uncomfortable, so she enlarged it with an easy spell, tried to empty her mind of her livid thoughts and went into a fitful sleep.

She woke up in the morning and didn't understand where she was. Oh right, the dinner, Ron's late arrival, his words and her decision to sleep in their lounge. She went to the kitchen to make tea and peaked into their bedroom, Ron was fast asleep snoring like an elephant. She thought about waking him up but it was only seven forty-five in the morning. She should eat something before they started that conversation she knew was inevitable but as she recalled his smile when he'd said Lavender's name yesterday, her fury resumed with a vengeance. She filled a large jug of water, went into their bedroom and emptied the jug at Ron's head. His eyes flew open, he sat up and started spluttering. She crossed her arms and just glared at him. He looked up, and he knew, just by her expression, that she was furious.

"Hermione…" He couldn't think of anything to say. She just glared and waited. "I… There was this after party with the team… I couldn't say no… They invited me specifically…"

She was pissed and couldn't hold her hurt feelings back, so she started yelling at him. "Ron! I was waiting to surprise you with dinner, all dressed up and looking forward to spending time with you! But no! You came home late, drunk and muttering about Lavender!"

He turned beet root red and didn't look at her. There was silence for a long time. He slumped on the bed looking horrified. "I'm so sorry 'Mione! I thought we were breaking up, things have been horrible the last couple of months. I didn't know and I was drunk and she was there and kept flirting and throwing herself at me…"

All colour drained from her face. "Did you cheat on me with her?" Her voice was deadly quiet.

He clapped a hand over his mouth and looked absolutely horrified at his own words. "No.. I mean, 'Mione come on, I wouldn't... I... Well... Maybe..."

He trailed off as she waved her wand aggressively, his clothes and other things around the flat started packing themselves instantly. She was completely consumed by anger, never had she imagined that he would do this to her! She waved her wand again and he was forcibly lifted from the bed in his boxers and showed towards the floo, along with his things that were still packing up. She was in a rage, eyes livid, brown bushy hair flying but she didn't say a word to him.

As she had packed every item of his and forced him to the floo, he kept trying to reason with her. "Hermione, no, we can be so good together, don't do this to us."

"No Ron. YOU did this to us! You betrayed my trust! You betrayed us! We were _not_ broken up and you cheated on me with _her_! Leave now!"

She threw in the floo powder and as the fire turned green, she pointed into the fireplace, looking almost mad. He sighed, stepping in and called for Grimauld Place. As the green flames swallowed him, she sunk to the floor and started crying. She was devastated that he would ever do something like this. He'd always been jealous at every man she'd ever had a conversation with, even Krum in her fourth year but that was exactly the reason she'd never thought he would cheat on her. She wasn't the jealous type but she expected faithfulness in her relationship from him, just as he did from her.

Maybe minutes or hours later, she didn't know, her fireplace lit up again with green flames and Ginny stepped out, red faced and angry. Looking at Hermione, her anger at Ron faded instantly and she stooped to pick her up from the floor. They sat on the sofa, Ginny holding Hermione tight in her arms, cooing at her. "Don't worry 'Mione. It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay. And don't worry, he won't be leaving our house for some time now." She'd said the last part in a tight voice laced with anger.

Finally, sniffling and with red rimmed eyes, Hermione looked up at Ginny. "What do you mean?"

Ginny started to explain. "He came through our floo about an hour ago with all of his stuff, asking Harry for a place to crash. Harry wanted to know why and you know he cares so much about you." She smiled at Hermione. Ginny had always accepted Harry and Hermione's brother and sister bond much more easily than Ron. "So he explained that things between you had been, well… tight… the past couple of months and that he had been to a party after the game yesterday. He tried to brush off Harry's attempt at getting a better explanation until I stepped in. I know you just as well as Harry. You would _never_ kick Ron out of your flat at eight in the morning just because he was out yesterday. After twenty minutes of yelling at him, he confessed to what happened. I still can't believe he did that. So I started hexing him." Hermione looked up, and Ginny was giving her a deeply satisfied smile. "He now mostly resembles a giant leopard-spotted slug with yellow antlers and red hair. I love him, he's my brother but he can be a complete jackass sometimes." She shrugged and looked evenly at Hermione, with that smile still on her lips.

Hermione looked completely thunderstruck at that explanation. And then she started laughing, somewhat hysterically. She didn't know where it came from, she just knew, deep down, that she needed to laugh. She hadn't had a good laugh in so long and the image Ginny had put in her mind was absolutely hilarious.

Ginny then proceeded to make them both a strong cup of tea and sandwiches. They ate and they talked. Ginny listened patiently while she poured out her heart. She told her about the fights, the silence, the dwindling love, their non-satisfying and almost-non-existing sex life. They talked for hours and Ginny didn't even flinch once, Hermione loved her friend for that.

It took Hermione months to get her self-esteem back to a good place. But one day, doing her Christmas shopping with Harry in Diagon Alley, she saw Ron and Lavender together looking very happy, it was like a knife though her. All of the Weasleys had taken her side in the aftermath of their relationship. Harry and Ginny had allowed Ron to stay for a week after he transformed back from the slug, to find another place to stay because Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have him in her house, if he was still seeing _that_ woman. So he'd moved in with Lavender. Hermione knew this since their breakup and his moving in with 'the other woman' had been headlines for weeks in both The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly.

Just like the Weasleys, the public had been in her favor. She knew from Harry that Ron had received many howlers as well as a couple of attempts at letter-hexes. But she hated the pitying looks she got everywhere she went. She was going to spend Christmas with her mum and dad and then New Years at the Weasleys. And then she needed to get away. She had seen in muggle magazines that she could book a retreat, so she had. For six months. She had taken leave from her job and was leaving London for a small Thai island on January 2nd.

She wanted some exercise that kept both her body and mind busy as well as clearing her mind of her work and any other frustrations. So she had booked a long stay at a yoga retreat on a small island in Thailand. She would be learning meditation, inner relaxation, yoga and if she wished, she could also become a yoga instructor.

* * *

In early July, she was ready to face the wizarding world in London again. She'd had a fantastic stay in Thailand, she'd learned so much about herself and how people saw her, it was liberating. She'd had a few casual flings with tourists and in general she was just happy. She was more content and in tune with herself than she'd been in years. Because the resort was a muggle one, she had flown to Thailand the muggle way and in general she had lived as a muggle for her stay. There had been a few occasions where her wand had come to good use but she had tried to live as muggle as possible. This also meant that is was hard for her friends to reach her since this would have to be done by either muggle postal service, or email and because none of her wizarding friends had internet, all correspondence had to go through muggle postal service. Harry and Ginny had sent her letters twice a month and so had Mrs. Weasley, though Harry did have to help her stamp and mail the letters every time. Luna had sent to two letters during her entire stay in Thailand, mostly recounting the odd Thai animals that Hermione should be on the lookout for. She'd missed them all and couldn't wait to get back. Crookshanks had stayed with Harry and Ginny and she missed him badly too.

The reunion dinner at Grimauld Place was festive and after a couple of days at home to settle back into her flat, she started back at work. She started teaching yoga a month later at a studio in muggle London and Ginny was a faithful participant in her class. She taught only once a week and went to another instructor's class once a week as well. Her class became quite popular, even in the magical community. Ginny spread the word far and wide to all the witches she knew, that yoga could really help you balance you out, even if it sounded like a weird muggle-thing. This meant that quite a few witches, many she knew from Hogwarts, started coming to her class, some regularly and some sporadically and even Pansy Parkinson tried her class. Hermione had expected her to have a sour attitude towards the whole thing but it turned out that she loved it and after that, she became just as faithful as Ginny and even started to go to some of the other instructors classes as well. The three witches even went out for something to eat after the class every now and then. It wasn't exactly a friendship but it had become a nice amicable acquaintance.

* * *

Today Pansy came by her office to greet Hermione as she was eating her lunch, they spoke briefly and she told Pansy that she would be teaching the yoga class today, as the instructor was sick. Pansy had given her a wide smirk and calculating eyes at this information but since Pansy usually had these kinds of moments, she didn't think anything of it and continued on with her day.

She ended her day on a note from her boss regarding the case concerning illegal dragon egg trade, packed as many of the documents she coul and left in a great mood. Apparating to the alley beside the old studio, she got changed, set up her gear in front of the mirror facing the class and went outside for a bit of air before class begun. She usually did this, a technique she'd learned at the retreat and it was always good before a class. Change your scenery, relax, let go of your daily life, feel, listen and be at one with your core. Just before six she climbed the stairs to the first floor, and went inside. Everyone started getting to their feet, ending the conversations that had been bouncing around the room.

"Welcome everyone. To the newcomers of this class, thank you for coming and I hope you'll enjoy it and to the repeats, welcome back." She had started using her version of Dumbledore's greeting at the welcoming feasts from Hogwarts, she loved how it set such a friendly tone to her class.

She looked smiling around her class, her eyes fell on _him_ and she froze. There was no way she had imagined that that tall man with a shock of blond hair and those steel gray eyes she now looked directly into would ever come to her class. _Pansy!_ That explained her expression earlier! She scowled at Pansy and took a very deep breath. She was going to need all of those centering techniques she had learned at the retreat to make it through the next hour.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying the story, please R&R!
> 
> HBSJ


	3. The class

"If you haven't been to a yoga class before, please raise your hand so I'll know to look out for you." She said this in a very professional and encouraging voice, typically Granger but he'd seen her freeze and scowl at Pansy. So, it wasn't just him the petite dark haired witch had tricked. That was good, it gave him some semblance of equilibrium back. Draco raised his hand slowly, two other people also raised hands, thank Merlin he wasn't the only newbie.

Hermione then started going through the motions, a bit more stoically than usual because of the Slytherin ferret in her class. She started out with a Sun Salutation and as she directed the class, her eyes kept drifting to him. Normally she would be in her own world during that particular move but she couldn't keep her concentration fixed. She even cracked a small smile as he fumbled one of the moves. His eyes snapped to hers and she felt a thrill go through her body. She didn't know if that was good or bad but she closed her eyes and tried to shake it off. She needed to stay focused on this class.

Ginny looked at her questioningly. She knew something was up, especially as she glanced to her left where Pansy seemed to be having the best day ever. The smirk would not leave her lips through her movements. She was suspicious so as she had to turn left and right, she looked around the class and then she saw his hair. No one could miss him if they'd known him. She frowned at Pansy who just gave her an evil grin.

* * *

Draco did all of the moves as best he could. He knew he was out of his depth with this, he'd always known and that was why he hadn't wanted to join Pansy today. Everyone was on their mats now, so he could see most of the class quite easily but he couldn't stop staring at her. He'd seen Granger around at the Ministry, grabbing lunch or coffee, seen her at the occasional meeting between their offices but now that he actually looked at her, it was clear that he hadn't been _seeing_.

She was most certainly not the same girl he had bullied in school. She was a woman, in all the best senses of the word. She wore a tight tank top and semi-tight training pants that stopped mid-calf, no shoes, no jewelry, no makeup and her bushy brown hair was in a loose bun on top of her head but somehow, it just didn't seem a bushy as he remembered it. She was graceful in all of her moves, her body toned but with all the right curves and a narrow waist. She looked completely gorgeous. His cock twitched but he schooled it quickly. These loose clothes were definitely not effective at concealing a growing erection and he definitely needed to focus on stopping those errant thoughts.

* * *

Hermione couldn't stop looking in his direction, he looked completely ridiculous in those clothes but if she was honest with herself, that only added to the appeal of him. The t-shirt was too wide but also too short and he wore dark green sweats that were way too big. She kept glimpsing his stomach, which wasn't helping with her focus. His stomach was flat, lean, and with an outline of firm muscles, the same as the rest of his body. It was pretty incredible. He had filled in to his former pointy face, and now it suited him quite well. Well, it looked much better than just _suited_ him. He had always been handsome underneath the sneer he wore at school but he'd been too pointed and skinny but now he was just kind of beautiful, it was somewhat unnerving. She had seen him at the Ministry from time to time and she had accepted that he was now somewhat different from their school days, both in looks and opinions. They had only had a few very professional encounters in which they had been compelled to speak but that had all been neutral enough. She had even acknowledged to herself that he was now a very good-looking man before now. She cursed herself inwardly, realizing she had been staring when he looked into her eyes again and the trademark Malfoy-smirk appeared on his lips. That smirk did suit him much better now. _Dammit._

She shook mentally herself and took the class into a series of quite complicated movements. She demonstrated and instructed and then, when she couldn't escape it anymore, she stood up and walked around the class. She always specifically paid attention to the newbies in the class, but this meant that she had to pay attention to him, and he might be very handsome now, but he was still _Malfoy_. She started out with the two she didn't know, speaking quietly to them, and helping them with the moves. In all fairness, she couldn't avoid him any longer, so she sighed and she went to the back of the class, still speaking to them all, when it was time to move. His eyes were trained on her as she approached him, she couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she was sure that that was a good thing. She felt her cheeks burn under his scrutinizing gaze but she soldiered on, and stood just beside him, looking critically at his stand. She gave him small pointers and moved behind him.

* * *

Draco enjoyed the show so much. She was a beautiful witch he could rile up within seconds with just a look or a small comment. He could tell she was somewhat flustered. He had even started enjoying the yoga. He usually played Quidditch with Blaise and Theo during weekends but he never stretched afterwards, this actually felt quite good. He knew his body had filled out since their school days but this did create a nice change to the cramped position on the broom. Huh, who knew? As she walked towards him, she looked like a dream he would never want to wake up from and he couldn't take his eyes off her. He knew he should however but for now he just decided to enjoy himself. He looked at her slowly, taking in her every feature and fantastic curve of her body and his cock twitched. Again. He struggled to keep his expression and his pants neutral and it paid off after he had received a few good points from her and she moved to stand behind him. He couldn't stop himself. This was just too good.

Ten seconds after she'd moved behind him he said, very quietly and very smugly "Enjoying the view, Granger?"

* * *

That's it, she thought. He definitely doesn't need any more of her attention. She stomped up to the front, trying desperately to calm her flustered countenance before turning towards the class again.

The class ended with Hermione's favourite eight minutes of the class, meditation. She guided her class into the Lotus position, asked everyone to close their eyes, and looked around. Everyone had closed their eyes, except Malfoy of course, his eyes boring into her, eyes inscrutable. She motioned for him to close his eyes and closed her own. She could not deal with him now. She guided her class in and out of the meditation, just like she had been taught and it soothed her. She was calm now and ended the class in a good mood.

* * *

He had just started to feel in his element. She had blushed, stomped and in general looked completely adorable. Wait, what? No, she was Granger, the know-it-all swot from his school days. He just needed to get laid, that was the problem and he hadn't been with anyone in quite a while. Perhaps he should grab Theo and go out on Friday or Saturday. He had been way too focused on this witch for the past hour. Enough was enough. She had gotten fairly pretty and he had just noticed it tonight. As the class filed out, a welcome distraction arrived as Pansy and Daphne sauntered up to him. He would never get with Daphne, she was Astoria's older sister after all but she was definitely a good distraction from Granger in her very scanty yoga outfit.

"So Draco, did you enjoy the class?" Pansy looked expectant.

"I did enjoy it actually, I didn't expect that. But then again, you can't blame a guy for enjoying the very pleasant view when I saw you all bend over." He smirked with no shame.

Pansy hit him on the shoulder. "Are you kidding me? That was all you got out of the class?"

"Ow!" He mock-winced and she rolled her eyes. "No, it wasn't, but it was a _very_ good movement. It really stretched the back of my legs" His wide smirk had stayed in place during the comment and he looked up to see an annoyed Weaselette (or is it now Potterlette?) and a frowning Granger looking at their little group from the front of the room. They had clearly heard his comments. Beside him Daphne was giggling, somehow she always thought his comments was hilarious and he had her rapt attention. Now he was reminded why he'd never really pursued any of the Greengrass sisters, dating Astoria for his mother's sake aside, they had been way too available for him and not nearly interesting enough.

* * *

Hermione couldn't help thinking that Malfoy may have improved in the looks-department, but he was clearly still was a completely horrible little ferret. He had always looked down on everyone in school, sauntering around as though he was some sort of a prince. He had made inappropriate comments to her during class and now regarding the entire class. She didn't need this and to protect the integrity of the class, she marched up to him, his unreadable eyes on her the entire time.

"Malfoy, if you have been that bored in this class, that you have to resort to looking at the women in the class as though they are meat, you need not return. You are not welcome in the classes if you can't take it seriously." She snapped, turned on her heel and went directly towards the changing room.

"I do take it very seriously Granger, don't you worry about that." Smirk and smug voice still in place, he managed to answer her just before she had left the studio. She just glared at him while leaving the room.

* * *

Hermione stormed into the changing room, followed by an exasperated Ginny.

"By Merlin, he can be a pretentious ass, can't he? I can't believe he told us that he'd spend his time in the class ogling the women."

"Well, technically he didn't tell _us_ , he told Pansy and Daphne and from Pansy's reaction, she was just as pissed off about it as we both are."

"Do you have to be so politically correct? I mean, it's _Malfoy_! He's so arrogant!"

"I know, I know, his arrogance has no limits even when surrounded by women, or maybe it was _because_ he was surrounded by women. But I have heard that he is a complete confident ladies' man, that he really is good at his job at magical law and that he's actually all right to work with, amazing as that sounds. So maybe his arrogance is merited in some small way."

"Oh, you're defending him now? Interested in the Slytherin sex good maybe?" Ginny had a knowing smirk on her face.

"Merlin no! But I've been told that I might have to cooperate with him on a case I received today, so when we're done, I'll at least be able to tell you if his arrogance at his job I merited." She smiled, and hoped that he would be as good at his job as she'd heard. After all, he had never worked with her and she was certain that she would be able to see right through him, if he played any tricks.

Ginny's smiled widened significantly. "Or maybe you'll be able to tell me about _all_ of his confidence. I've heard that he's an amazing fuck but the sources are in no way reliable. But I've also heard that if he is interested, he is almost irresistible and with the way he looked at you today, I wouldn't put it past him to try."

"Please, he is not interested in me, there's too much history between us. And I'm absolutely certain that I will be able to resist him, should he try anything." Hermione answered with absolute self-assurance. She might think that he was handsome but he was obviously still the ferret-prat from her school days. Even though Ginny definitely didn't need to know about the surreptitious glances she had given him from afar at the Ministry. Why did he have to be so edible and why, oh why, did he have to show up in her class?

* * *

Draco changed quickly and met Pansy outside the old dilapidated building, her high heels clacking on the pavement. She wound her arm through his and led him back down to the alley they had apparated to. He was rigid and stonily silent but she seemed to have an extra skip in her step, he couldn't fancy why.

She side-along apparated him to her and Blaise's place, a large expensive flat in a muggle part of London, close to Ministry. Pansy had spent weeks with a decorator furnishing the place and it looked immaculate. As they entered the place, he could hear his best friend rummaging in the kitchen, humming along to the wizard wireless.

"Mate, good to see you!" He gave Draco a thump on his shoulder. "And honey, you're home." He almost purred in a deep hoarse voice as he proceeded to give his fiancée a prolonged snog. After Draco cleared his throat and the happy couple had given him equally nauseating grins, he was informed that dinner would be ready in fifteen minutes. It seemed that Blaise had found a love of cooking after the war and now owned a quite popular café in Diagon Alley. Pansy motioned to Draco to follow her to the lounge.

"So, did you enjoy the class?"

"Well… It wasn't as bad as I had expected. You could have told me that a lot of those women in the class wear nothing but skin tight outfits, I'd have liked some sort of warning."

"Come on, you loved that part, I know you." She smirked knowingly. "But I was surprised to see that your attention wasn't caught by the women in general but one in particular."

"What on earth are you talking about?" he said gruffly. He knew he was becoming defensive but he didn't want her asking about his reactions to Granger. He didn't know where they came from himself so he had decided to bury them, never to be examined again.

"The yoga instructor, or as she is also known, Hermione Granger." Pansy's attention was fixed on him, and as per his earlier decision, he decided to brush off her comment completely.

"I don't look at her any differently than any other women. She's the same Granger we went to school with."

Pansy snorted with a derisive laugh. "Draco please! You know as well as I, that she looks nothing like she did in school, her body, her hair and her confidence has all changed. She's grown up all right and if I weren't with Blaise I'd even give it a go, she's fucking gorgeous!"

Blaise had just entered to room and both Blaise and Draco were staring at her bug eyed and open mouthed. She just laughed at their expressions. "Come on guys, you both know about my lovely experiments at school. Women are amazing and I just love giving them pleasure. I love you Blaise but I could just as well have ended up with someone like Hermione, she's feisty and passionate, I like that. I'm sure she's like that in bed as well."

At this Draco kept gaping and Blaise started laughing, while announcing that dinner was now ready in the dining room. Pansy led the way, clacking her black high heels with red soles loudly on the hardwood floor. Draco followed Blaise at a snails pace, he couldn't get the image of a feisty and passionate Granger naked in his bed out of his head. He tried shaking his head, to no avail. Dinner was a long affair with Pansy supplying most of the conversation. Blaise tried to get Draco to talk about the yoga class but he was having none of it. He needed something a lot stronger than butterbeer to talk about that.

* * *

He returned home to his Diagon Alley flat. It was in the respectable end and quite large, with four rooms, kitchen and bathroom. He needed a firewhiskey to calm down. Pansy had rattled on all night and he had barely been able to get away at ten thirty, with excuses about an early start at work the next day but in reality, he needed to think and think hard.

He sat in his favourite chair in his lounge in front of the fire, twirling the whiskey tumbler in his hand. Okay, so the Granger-girl was basically an improved version of herself. And he had to admit, she had a definite appeal, not just in terms of a quick shag but he knew her wit was fascinating. He'd always thought so but he had always chosen to sneer at and insult her instead, it had been his instinct in school, which had been carefully honed by his father. He knew his mother deeply regretted that Lucius was in Azkaban but he was reasonably happy about it because it meant that he was free from his father's opinions and prejudices. In school, though he had loathed to admit it, Granger had bested him in almost every subject, being muggleborn hadn't stopped her at all. In fact, he thought it might have had an effect in spurring her on and applying that brain of hers to even further use.

That was another thing, he had always found intelligent women the sexiest. That was even the reason he had gone out with Pansy in the fourth year. She didn't look it but she had a deadly sharp brain, capable of most things she had set her mind to, she just hadn't been that interested in using that intelligence in school and even so, she had finished in the top ten of their entire class. Granger was a danger to him, now more than ever, since he now found her pretty much physically perfect.

He had seen her around the Ministry and for the first time he realized why the difference between the girl from school and the woman he had seen standing in the lunch line a couple of months ago had been so striking. Her bushy hair had no longer been bushy, but tamed luscious dark brown curls reaching her lover back. She had been wearing a minimum of makeup, a sharp charcoal grey muggle womens suit and she'd had an animated conversation with the Weasley patriarch behind her.

Since then, he had noticed her every time he had seen her but he had pointedly ignored her. And every time, he had found himself a date not long after, just to let off some steam. Now, he knew why and he was not happy about it. Was he interested in Granger like that? No, surely not. She was just pretty, nothing more and he would continue to ignore her from now on. He didn't need to go to the yoga class ever again and that would be it. He would start his search for a longer relationship though, he would please his mother and start thinking about his own future. At the age of twenty-three he was not old at all but in pureblood standards, he was terribly late in starting his search, he knew that was what his mother had complained about yesterday.

After pouring another tumbler of whiskey he sat brooding about the possibilities of a wife for another hour and then called it a night, he knew he would have a headache in the morning, but that was fine. He had needed the time to think. And he had a couple of hangover potions in the bathroom.


	4. The case

The next day he strode into his office on level two, no longer rattled from the day before, only to find an interdepartmental memo from the very woman he had planned to avoid like the plague, Granger. Just fucking wonderful.

_Malfoy,_

_I have a case regarding the international black market for dragon eggs and since you have been a large part updating the legislation in that area, I would appreciate it if you would come to my office at ten today._

_H. Granger  
 _Regulation and control of magical creatures.__

He scowled deeply. He had no excuse to drop the meeting and yes, he was the person in magical law who had the greatest knowledge of the dragon legislation. He wrote at quick reply confirming their meeting and set about preparing himself. There was no way Granger would catch him off guard in this area.

At five to ten he left his office and went down to level four. He took a deep breath, knocked and entered without waiting for a reply. He stopped dead in his tracks. Granger was on all fours, rummaging underneath a cabinet, with her fine ass in his direction and she was wearing a black pencil skirt that was riding up, showing her thigh high tights held up by small suspenders, revealing the light creamy soft skin of her upper thighs. His cock twitched violently, that was one of the sexiest outfits he'd ever seen. It was clearly muggle clothing but he had never before appreciated it so much.

He just stood there and took her appearance in, his erection growing steadily. After a moment he realized that she had no idea he was in her office, so after another few minutes of enjoying the view, he reluctantly cleared his throat and she jumped up, standing in front of him looking flustered. She smoothed her clothes, dark green fitted button up shirt with the top two buttons undone, tight pencil skirt, and those enticing sheer tights and he couldn't help but smirk. He almost hoped she had dressed for him today, because she looked completely appetizing. He may have been determined to stay away from her and ignore her but seeing her standing in front of him like that, he could just as well enjoy himself.

"Hello Granger. Lost something under there?" His pronounced smirk still in place.

"Yes, I dropped my quill and it rolled underneath the cabinet, I can't reach it."

He raised one eyebrow at her. "Not that it's any of my business, but aren't you a witch who could just summon it with an easy spell?"

Hermione couldn't help but think _Merlin he looks sexy smirking at me like that!_ He had surprised her. She had worked so intensely, that she had no idea that time had flown by so fast. And here he was in all his glory. Black slacks, crisp white button up shirt and black wizards robes and that annoying sexy smirk on his face and he was eying her the same way as yesterday in her class. She had received an owl yesterday informing her of two arrests and her boss' intention of her to run the now expanded investigation so she had dressed with care today, knowing he was the person she needed to help her with the case and she thought he would appreciate the nod to Slytherin with her green shirt. She didn't even know why and she didn't want to examine it too much, but she wanted him to like her outfit, and it definitely seemed like he did like it. His molten grey eyes held nothing but wicked promises.

"Well, yes, it seems I forgot about that." She grabbed her wand from the table. "Accio quill." And it flew right into her hand. Damn it, he wasn't supposed to have caught her off guard like this, especially in that position. Shit, has he seen the garter belt? She hoped not but looking at his expression and his somewhat prominent length, she had a feeling that it had been showing. Damn, that was only for her own benefit, to heighten her confidence in front of him. But it seemed to her, that she would be able to turn it into her benefit. Clearly, judging from his hard on, he had been affected and he made no effort whatsoever at covering his showing erection, so she decided quickly to turn the conversation to the reason she had called him into her office in the first place.

"Anyway,-" She threw a calculated glance at his obvious hard length. "-thank you for coming Malfoy, please have a seat." He sat down, a bit puzzled at her sudden professional demeanor but decided to take it in stride, as she moved to her seat behind the cluttered desk.

"I have been working for some time with the Department of magical law enforcement regarding the illegal dragon egg trade and now they have two muggles in custody who was arrested yesterday. The crucks of the matter is that they are both muggle, probably payed to do the bidding of someone else. I am not interested in these two muggles and they will be obliviated but we need to find the person or persons behind this. I have an appointment to interview the muggles later today. I have contacted Charlie Weasley who works with dragons in Romania and he will take a portkey to the ministry tomorrow to relay all information he can. I would like you to be present at this meeting and, if possible, if would like for you to join me on this case. There are quite a lot of research that needs to be done as you can see by the state of my desk, but if you are unable to join the case, I will have to get someone else." She looked at him beseechingly, she knew he would be by far the best to assist her in this case but she didn't want to have to tell him that she needed him, he didn't need to know that, at least not yet and she hoped it didn't show too clearly on her face.

"Well Granger, that was quite a speech." He hesitated, looking intently at her, searching for something maybe. "I will assist you in this case, it seems right down my alley. I would like to accompany you to the interview, I might have some specifically probing questions for them before their memories are modified. They may know more than they realize they know. And yes, I will join you with Weasley tomorrow. Could you owl me all of the particulars in the case before lunch, I need to go over it in order to ask the right questions to the muggles."

She was relieved, he would be helping her with the case. Since she started working on it had been boggling her but she had been expected to solve it alone until the arrests yesterday. She couldn't imagine how they were getting the eggs into the country and selling them without the Ministry noticing.

"I will. You'll receive a copy of everything within an hour."

He rose, and made to leave.

"Oh, and Malfoy?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." She smiled at him, he nodded and left her office. She slumped in her chair. Okay, so he would help her, thank Merlin. She knew she was in way over her head and not the she liked to admit it, but she really needed a second opinion and a second pair of eyes on this case.

Sure enough an hour later, instead of an owl, a man with a large trunk appeared, levitating an immense caseload. It seemed she had made copies of every single file in the case and they were interviewing the muggles this afternoon.

He could just see his lunchbreak going out the window, so to ensure that he would be getting some food, he put his charm on one of his female colleagues and got her to bring him coffee and a sandwich, she even gave him a chocolate caldron as well. He might not date that much these days but he did know how to get what he needed, he was a Slytherin after all.

* * *

A couple of hours later Hermione entered his office and found the blonde buried in a mountain of papers. He sneered at her when she entered, his earlier wicked expression wiped from his face.

"Who's been taking these notes?" He snapped. "This doesn't seem like you at all Granger, there are so many holes in these stories that the notes only should be used to clean up dragon dung."

"I only received this case last week." She explained waspishly and he could tell she was annoyed at his brusqueness. "That is one of the problems I have encountered, to me it seems that the lack of information in the case is a strong indicator that they have someone working with them from inside the Ministry. The investigation is, because of that, much more sensitive than I first anticipated and we will need to be careful in our handling of it. There's one thing I cannot understand though, why go through all of this trouble just for dragon eggs. There must be more to the story."

He frowned at her. Her suspicion of someone working on this from inside the Ministry was exactly his thought when going through the mounds of documents, they would need to be watchful when questioning the muggles in custody. The clearly needed to find out who'd had access to the casefiles.

They talked for another hour before going down to meet the muggles. Upon entering the corridor to the holding cell however, they were met with complete chaos. The door to the cell was wide open and both muggles were slumped in their chairs, clearly unconscious. The guards were yelling and two wizards were running fast down the corridor. Draco didn't even think, he just started to run after them.

Hermione moved into the cell to re-animate the two muggles, asking the guards to remain outside.

"Ennervate." She pointed her wand at both men and they started stirring slowly. Both men had been both obliviated and confunded. But by whom?

Draco re-entered the cell soon after, somewhat out of breath and with an angry expression on his face but still looking spotless. It really wasn't fair.

"They got away, whoever they were. What happened here?"

"They have been both obliviated, confunded and then stunned. That seems quite extreme for something as simple as dragon egg trading."

"Well, let's see if there is a remnant of anything we can use in them, since we cannot question them now." He removed his wizards robes, placed them neatly over a chair and pointed his wand at the first man. "Legilimens." The other man just sat staring blankly at the wall behind them, clearly still suffering from the effects of the charms used on him.

Malfoy was silent for a long while, so she sat down and waited. He had a very focused expression on his face as he searched the muggle's now flawed memory. She knew he was very accomplished in legilimency and occlumency, having been taught by Bellatrix Lestrange. A woman that Hermione herself had been questioned by during the war and she had felt her vast powers pushing on her own mind. Only her diligent practise of emptying her mind every night before bed for a long time before the war had saved the information regarding the Sword of Gryffindor. Even then she had clearly felt the powerful push on her mental defences from the deranged witch. She shook herself both mentally and physically, that was not a good place to revisit.

She decided to kill some time looking the two muggles over, maybe they could find some clues in their appearance. The one Draco was searching through now was a stout short man with piggy little eyes, his clothes showed nothing out of the ordinary, except for a small burn mark on his right shoulder, that was strange. She sniffed, it smelled like a dragon burn. The other man, a slim but equally short man had the same burn marks, though he was covered in them head to foot. His pants were filthy, covered in some kind of slime, dirt and what looked very much like dragon dung. On closer inspection, it _was_ dragon dung, though clearly not from fully grown dragons, so she started conjuring vials and took as many samples as she could from both men. What was these two muggles doing in close proximity to live dragons?

A couple of minutes later Draco blinked and resurfaced from his concentrated state.

"Nothing." He scowled. "I'll try the other one." And before she could even answer him, he said the incantation and was deeply focused again.

She decided to use the time as best she could, she had examined the muggles, so now she decided to examine Draco, just for her own amusement. She sat looking at him closely. He was immaculate as always and even in his concentrated state he still oozed sex-appeal. He was tall, lean, strong and he appealed very much to her. She hadn't had any in ages, too long really and this man was a distinct temptation for her. Well, at least when he wasn't talking. She knew she couldn't touch him now, it would disturb his concentration but she wanted to touch him very much. Without his wizard's robes, his physique was somewhat on display and she vividly remembered her repeated views of his stomach yesterday in class. She wanted to touch the planes of his chest, his stomach, his face, his back, his backside and, well, she was especially curious about his package. In her office earlier today it had seemed enormous but she had a strange urge to see for herself. She studied him intently for a long time. She decided that his face was quite amazing really, with almost Da Vinci-like proportions and even when focused he was fascinating. She wondered what he looked like with a genuine smile on his face. Only when he began to move did she remove her gaze from him and put on a disinterested look on her face.

"Okay, this man yielded a bit more information, I saw him at the docks with his mate, a filthy place but I couldn't tell exactly where. They're bringing the eggs in via the Thames in small barges, a thoroughly muggle way to avoid detection and to be able to keep them hot during the journey but I couldn't see what they were doing with the eggs or where they're coming from. At one point I saw at least three eggs in the vicinity of him."

"I know. They're hatching the eggs."

"Hatching them? As in muggles raising dragons in Britain?" He stared incredulous at her.

"Look at them, see this?" She held up one of the nine vials of samples she had collected from the men. "This is dragon dung, in small quantities yes, but it is unmistakably dragon dung, most likely from very young dragons."

"What the hell? Why in Merlin's name would muggles want to raise dragons in Britain? They can't contain them at all."

"There's burn marks all over the two men as well. I think they're using the dragons for something, I don't know what but they must be in league with wizards or witches. As you say, there's no way these two men can handle or contain dragons, even if they've just hatched."

"This case just got a lot bigger Granger."

* * *

They left the holding cell and walked in silence back to her office. She was carrying the vials the muggle way, typically Granger. Why bother carrying it if you can float it magically? He would never understand the reasoning behind that choice. Maybe it was just a habit.

As soon as they entered the office and he had closed the door behind them, she turned to him. "Okay, so how about we both read up on the case tonight and then meet tomorrow to compare notes before we meet with Charlie Weasley?"

"Deal. The fact that they're hatching the eggs takes this a whole new level, we could really use some underground assistance now. Do you know anyone we can use? I'll have to ask Pansy." He ran both hands through his dishevelled hair.

She frowned, deep in thought. A couple of minutes later her eyes lit up suddenly. "Of course, Dung!"

"What?" He was completely puzzled by her outburst. Was she talking about dragon dung again?

"Mundungus Fletcher. He's as shady and underground as they get and he'll definitely know something about this. He used to be very loyal to Dumbledore. But he's difficult to find, he doesn't move out in the open. Kreacher, Harry's house elf, has found him once during the war when he was hiding and I am certain he can do it again."

"I remember Kreacher. I'm sure he can find that person, whoever he is, quite easily."

"Alright, I'll get in touch with Harry now and if you could ask as many people you know who might have information about this and then we'll meet up in the morning and compare notes, okay?"

"I'll be in your office at eight tomorrow, see you then." She nodded and he walked away feeling annoyed. Both at her for shaking his usual composure and annoyed at the fact that this case had just gotten a whole lot more complicated. There was no way he would be able to avoid her now. So much for all of his plans from yesterday. He just had to resist, that was all. He just had to resist all of those extremely lascivious thoughts that were rattling around his brain after seeing her on her hands and knees earlier today. She was completely appealing to him. Maybe he needed to blow off some steam quickly, never mind the search for wife, maybe he just needed a quick shag, or five. He adjusted his cock that was straining against the fabric of his slacks, again. These thoughts were haunting him, he'd dreamt of nothing but her last night in all sorts of positions, woken up several times and had to release the tension himself, which definitely wasn't his favorite way of releasing, and now he would have to spend a lot of his time with her. Great, just _bloody_ great.


	5. The rumours

Hermione awoke in the morning, confused and annoyed. She had been up very late yesterday evening going over the casefiles again and again. It was frustrating to her, what was she missing?! She felt it was taunting her. And working with Draco _bleeding_ Malfoy certainly didn't help. Well… It depended on your view of the matter. She knew she needed him on the case, but he had the uncanny ability to unsettle her and she did not like that at all. He was one of the few people with the same level of intelligence as her, and that combined with his arrogance and sexiness, her unnerved her deeply and she did _not_ appreciate it.

She allowed herself a bit of a lie-in since she had been up so late the night before. She didn't need to look at her clock by the bed, because she never woke up later than seven anyway. Mentally she went through her day, meeting with Malfoy and then meeting with Charlie Weasley. She expected that she and Malfoy would be spending most of the day together. She knew he wasn't all that bad as he used to be, but his sarcastic arrogance was grating on her nerves. She groaned and rolled over, glancing briefly at her clock. It was ten to eight. _Oh no! She was late!_

She jumped up quickly and rushed around her flat, twirling her wand expertly. This was one of the times she was grateful she was a witch because she was in the floo fifteen minutes later with her muggle luxury handbag in hand, one of the few luxuries she had allowed herself after the war. She had packed all of the casefiles magically while getting ready, and of course she had an undetectable extension charm on her bag. Since the war, she'd had that charm on all of her bags. At first it was just a habit, but now it was a really practical way to bring her work home, with no one but her close friends being any the wiser. Today it was really lucky that she'd packed all of her yoga gear last night for her class tonight, at least she didn't have to stress about that.

She arrived in the atrium five minutes past eight and rushed to her office where she was meeting Malfoy. Hurrying by the outer office where her assistant sat and she looked thoroughly confused at her and then the clock on the wall. It was _not_ normal for her to be late at all. If anything, she was usually early. She stopped briefly to ask Sofia to get her office checked for weather problems, she had found droplets on the floor, her desk and her files every now and then. Sofia nodded and informed that Mr. Malfoy had already arrived in her office. _Great._

She then steeled her nerve, took a deep breath and went into her office. He sat at her desk with a scowl on his face, drumming his fingers on the wood surface looking very impatient.

"Finally!" He exclaimed and rounded on her with an amused expression, while he took in her rushed appearance. "I've been told that you're never late. That clearly wasn't the truth, obviously." She had expected that he would be angry, but the sudden change in his expression threw her, so she decided to ignore his jibe and the fact that he looked utterly delicious this morning. He looked like he'd just stepped out of the shower, he smelled like it too, it was so heady that she flushed.

"Well I'm here now, so let's get to work." She sat down behind her desk and gave him a blinding smile trying to hide her thoughts. He narrowed his eyes at her. "I spoke briefly with Harry yesterday regarding Mundungus Fletcher and he has sent Kreacher to look for him. When he is found, he will be brought to an interrogation room designated by Harry. His only request was if Kreacher could be allowed to stay for the questioning of Dung, and I agreed."

He lifted a single eyebrow at her. She tried and failed to contain the blush creeping into her cheeks, why oh why was this man so appealing to her? Did she imagine that his eyes was almost molten silver? _Get it together_ , she kept saying to herself.

"Nice save Granger, I won't forget you were late though." He said in his most sarcastic deadpan voice. "Why in Merlin's name would Kreacher want to stay for the questioning of this person?"

"Because Dung once stole some prized possessions from Kreacher during the war and he would love to smack him again." She smiled to herself at the memory from number twelve Grimauld Place during the war.

He shrugged non-committedly and moved on, he could well imagine Kreacher having something of a temper. "I've gone through all of it again yesterday and compared it to what we got from the two muggles, it just doesn't add up. There must be more to the story. We have a list of who have handled this case, it must be one of them who is in league with these people and most of them are working in your department. We need to go through where they were yesterday when we went down to talk to the muggles. Got any ideas?"

While he was talking, she was levitating all of the casefiles from her bag, they kept on coming and Draco stared at her quizzically but then he was smirking at her. Of course Granger would be the kind of witch that had an undetectable extension on a random bag, she was definitely the sort of person to bring all her work home with her.

"No, not yet, but I have a plan. I will make some fake duplicates of some of the not so important files, and then ward my office to alert me of anyone entering. Then we'll know who it is."

"How will you know who it is? You can only ward in order to keep people out, or to know that someone has entered your office."

She smiled a crooked smile at him that shook him to the core and said simply, "I've changed the spell to suit my needs."

"Of course you have." He rolled his eyes.

"Now, where were we yesterday…" She stood up and started poring over the files on her desk and Draco took a minute to take in her appearance. She was still absolutely enticing, though a bit flustered. Some things looked perfect, her hair was pulled back in a neat chignon with a few whips of hair escaping and her tight pencil skirt enhanced her already appealing curves. But she was flushed, her button up shirt wasn't buttoned correctly and she was clearly embarrassed to have kept him waiting, though she tried to hide it.

He had been staring at her shapely legs when a noise, which suspiciously sounded like a deliberate cough, made him snap his gaze up. She was looking as him with an unfathomable look on her face. She didn't look disgusted though…

However, he had little time to contemplate that at that moment, as there was a brisk knock on the door, and Charlie Weasley entered. Or, he supposed it was Charlie Weasley, as it was a red haired, short and stocky man with quite a muscled body. He had a distinct outdoorsy smell, and it seemed as though he was tanned, but on closer inspection it turned out that his entire face and neck was covered in light brown freckles. He smiled and pulled Hermione into what he could only imagine was a rather bone crushing hug, he growled in his chest, he wasn't quite sure where that came from. Luckily none of them seemed to notice, thank Merlin.

"Hermione, so great to see you! How have you been? Are you coming to dinner tonight at the Burrow? By the way, did you know that your blouse isn't buttoned correctly?" Charlie pelted her with question after question and a blush creeped up on her cheeks, she had no interest in sharing any of that in front of Malfoy, but hastily started to correct her buttoning without showing too much skin as soon as she was released from Charlies embrace. She could hear Malfoy's low chuckle, though he did try to hide it. That sound did strange things to her.

"Great to see you too Charlie." She smiled at him widely avoiding most of his questions. "I can't, I've got my class tonight." She gave Malfoy a pointed look. "But if you're staying for a bit, I hope I can come by and see you and the rest of the Weasleys."

Charlie grinned. "Except maybe one of us, but don't worry, mum never invites him if that girl might join in." Hermione ground her teeth at that, Ron still pissed her off.

Draco really did think that he'd had enough of the sappy reunion and he had no interest in listening to stuff about the Weasel. "So, Mr. Weasley."

Charlie interrupted him with a smile. "Call me Charlie, please. You must be Draco Malfoy, I've heard a lot about you." His face showed nothing but curiosity and none of the disgust or calculation he'd gotten used to over the years. What a pleasant change.

"I am, good to meet you." They shook hands. "Now, to business." Draco didn't feel like preliminaries anymore.

"Yes, of course. What do you want to know?"

Draco motioned for Granger to take over, it was her case after all.

Her professional demeanor popped up right then and there. She had been watching the exchange between Charlie and Malfoy with barely concealed surprise. Charlie had heard so many horrible stories about Malfoy from Ron and Harry when he'd been home from Romania, but he was clearly reserving his judgement until later. She had always known that Charlie wasn't a hot-head like Ron, but she was still impressed.

"Okay Charlie, tell us what you know."

Charlie then proceeded to tell them everything he knew about the thefts. "Eggs are disappearing almost daily, mostly from the rarest and most vicious breeds. We haven't been able to catch them and I have no idea how they make it past the nesting mothers to steel the eggs."

"Can they accio the eggs?" Hermione asked and Draco was deep in thought.

"Yes and no, they can accio the eggs only when the cage has been opened the enchantments on the cages are too strong and those dragons always wake at the slightest sound, plus they're enchanted themselves. It's extremely frustrating. We're supposed to be protecting the dragons and their young." He ran both hands though his hair.

"Have you checked all of the employees at the sanctuary? Could any of them have been involved?"

"There would have to be one or more of the workers involved. Otherwise they'd never have been able to steal any of the eggs. They're too well protected. Besides, once you open the cage, get past the nesting dragon and steal the egg without the vigilant dragon mother noticing, then you still have to get out of the sanctuary itself and it is protected with a whole bunch of very elaborate charms and wards."

"Are the wards and charms working both ways, or are they placed only to keep intruders out? Because if the thefts are made by people working with the dragons, then they would only have to walk out with the eggs."

"Oh." He looked puzzled. "To keep intruders out I guess. I've never really thought about it that way."

"Is there a pattern to the breeds of eggs that are stolen or is it seemingly random?"

"It seems very random but the badder the dragon, the better it seems. They steal about three eggs a week."

"We've found evidence that they are hatching the eggs here in London, how would they be able to manage that?"

"I really had hoped they weren't doing that, they're only manageable the first, but after a minimal amount of time they are going to be completely unmanageable. Have you had any reports of random fires that can't be explained? Maybe by muggles to the muggle authorities?"

"Charlie, you're a genius!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's it! That's the information we're missing, fires around muggles!"

She sat down and scribbled a memo quickly, folded it and it flew from her to Harry Potter, Head Auror.

After that they spent the next couple of hours going over the possibilities of stealing the eggs from the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, as well as transportation, hatching and the keeping of young dragons. What Charlie did for a living was no mean feat.

"Excellent, thank you so much for all of your help Charlie." She smiled fondly at him, something that didn't go unnoticed by Draco.

Draco interrupted what he was certain would be a very Gryffindor-ish gushy 'Thank you, no thank you' kind of conversation. "In a few minutes Pansy will be joining us. She knows all sorts of lunatics from the clubs she frequents and some of them might be involved in this."

"As I was saying Malfoy…" She stopped talking as they both heard the fast clacking in the hallway and the door opened three seconds later.

"Don't mind me." Pansy smirked at them both and walked to desk and sat down on top of it. "You asked me here, what can I do for you two?" Then she saw Charlie, hopped off the desk and sauntered over to him. She raised her hand, expecting him to kiss it. "Hello." She practically purred at him. "I am Pansy Parkinson, and you are?"

He kissed her outstretched hand, smiling at her. "My name is Charlie Weasley miss Parkinson. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise, and please call me Pansy." Her tone of voice was like liquid honey, she clearly wanted to impress the man in front of her.

"Of course, and you must call me Charlie." He smiled brightly at her. "Oh, what a shame, is that an engagement ring I see on your left hand?" Charlie's face fell slightly.

"Yes it is, but I have someone you definitely need to meet." She clapped her finely manicured hands and Charlie grinned, all good humour restored.

Draco and Hermione stared at the exchange. Hermione's eyebrows was raised in surprise, but it was driving him up the wall, so he got right to the point, he could see no point in further dallying. These people really were annoying sometimes.

"Pansy. Hermione and I are working a case regarding an illegal dragon egg trade. It seems that they are hatching the eggs here in London and staying under the radar by using muggles to assist them. It's in general the most vicious breeds. Have you heard of any recent illicit activities involving young dragons?"

She pursed her lips in thought, wondering briefly how he hadn't heard the wild rumours that were flying around the young magical community. He probably didn't get out much, though she and Blaise repeatedly tried to change that. "Well, the rumour is that a wizard and a muggle have joined forces and have created their version of muggle cockfights, using young dragons, as they can be controlled-ish." She held up her hand to stop both of them from asking the obvious questions. "I don't know where it's being held or who they are and the people I've heard it from has never been to any of the fights. They change locations from fight to fight though and you need an invitation to get the location and to get in." Charlie just stared at the witch, he thought she was enchanting.

Draco asked the obvious question, ignoring Charlie's staring, those Weasley's really couldn't conceal their emotions, now could they? "Can you get us an invitation to the next fight?"

"I can try, but don't count on it. I'll get back to you. And I'll see you tonight Hermione." With that, she smirked at them, her eyes lingering on Charlie, and left the office without another word.

"She'll get us tickets, she has her ways." Draco smirked at Hermione's correct interpretation of the Slytherin witch.

Charlie gawked after Pansy as she left the office, her heels clacking and her hips swaying. "Does she have a sister by any chance?" Draco and Hermione chuckled at him.

* * *

At lunch the three of them had amicable conversation, Draco wasn't exactly sure if he had any sort of claim to join in the conversation. It certainly wasn't company he would have expecting himself to enjoy before the war but none the less, he still chuckled at Charlies joke about the dragon in the dung-heap.

In the middle of the ministry cafeteria, Kreacher suddenly popped loudly into existence beside the table, flappy ears with white hair flying. He took a breath and bowed deeply, scraping his bulbous nose on the tiled floor. Standing back up, he said in his croaky voice. "Kreacher's got him miss, Mundungus Fletcher miss, he's in the room miss, the room my master has assigned him to miss, Kreacher had to restrain him miss, Kreacher hopes that miss will let Kreacher keep him under restraints miss, the sneak thief so deserves it miss."

Hermione smiled at Kreacher, their relationship had changed drastically since their stay at Grimauld Place during the war. He still wasn't keen on being touched by her at all but he addressed her with respect as the best friend of his master and his master's family. "Thank you very much Kreacher, we will arrive in about thirty minutes to question him. Please keep him restrained until then but please do not hit him too much, we need him to talk." Kreacher still hadn't recovered fully from Mundungus stealing the Black family heirlooms from him but receiving the fake locket belonging to Regulus Black from Harry had eased the pain over time. Except, it would seem, seeing Mundungus again.

"Kreacher thanks the misses very much, the thief will be ready when miss and sirs decides to question him." At this point Kreacher decided to acknowledge the other people at the table. He bowed deeply to Draco and another deep bow to Charlie. "Kreacher is proud to again meet young master Malfoy, the grandson of his former mistress and he is proud to meet another brother to his mistress, for she is kind to Kreacher."

Draco merely nodded to acknowledge the elf's greeting and Charlie beamed at Kreacher. "Hello Kreacher, very nice to meet you too. I'm Charlie Weasley." Kreacher bowed again and was gone with another audible pop.

* * *

"Oi! What do you think you're playing at keeping me locked up in here? Let me out!" Mundungus was banging on the door, his wand in a secure box outside the room. The room in which the thief was being held was specially designed by Harry for the captives with more than a little imagination with regards to escaping. Harry had such a vast experience dealing with dark wizards who were all very competent in wandless and wordless magic, this room cancelled all of that when the captured witch or wizard had no wand on their person.

Draco and Hermione was standing outside discussing the best way to proceed with the questioning and in the end, Hermione just said that Kreacher would help them. Draco was mystified, how could a wizard be scared of a small old elf?

That question was answered soon enough though, because just when Hermione magically opened the door, Kreacher swung at Mundungus with a rather heavy looking frying pan. He barely dodged it. "What the hell…?" He dodged another swing. "Call 'im off, gerroff! He's gone completely nutters, call 'im off!"

Granger stepped in between the two. "Please sit down Dung, this shouldn't take long."

Mundungus Fletcher was seated on one side of a table, looking daggers at the house elf. He was short with long ginger hair and stubbles, bloodshot eyes and an awful body odour, he smelled like all of Kockturn Alley and the Hogs Head rolled into one. Draco wrinkled his nose at the man.

"Who's this?" He gestured to Draco. "I sorta recall seeing 'im before." He narrowed his eyes at Draco.

"That's easy." Draco drawled, staring at the heap of filth in front of him while keeping his facial expression deadpan. He lifted the sleeve of his left arm up, Mundungus flinched. "That's because I'm a former Death Eater, so between me, the brightest witch of the age and an angry elf with a frying pan, I would suggest you assist us any way that you can."

"Oi! I wasn't sayin' anything about not helpin', now was I?" Mundungus answered annoyed, he pulled out his pibe and lit it, smoke billowing everywhere. Hermione looked disgustedly at him and Draco just glared. He found the wizard absolutely appalling.

Hermione sat down across from Mundungus, crossed her arms across her chest and nodded to Draco, indicating that he should start to question Mundungus. "All right, tell us what you know about dragon eggs being hatched here in London, as well as fights between young dragons being arranged by the same people."

He looked indignant but Draco could tell that it was a ruse, the man knew. "I don't know nothin' 'bout that."

"Yes you do." He slammed the table in from of him, making Mundungus jump. "DO NOT LIE!"

"Don't you think you can scare me, I've seen a lot worse than you, mate!"

Draco smiled a mirthless laugh. "That might be so, but I'm not the one who is going to hurt you."

"Wha'? Whadoya mean?" His eyes widened and he looked very discomforted.

"He is." He pointed to Kreacher.

Kreacher was beside himself with glee, bobbing up and down. "Thank you, thank you young master Malfoy." The house elf lifted the frying pan in front of him and stalked towards the wide-eyed Mundungus with a grim expression.

"Wait wait, wha's this? You'll not let 'im hit me will ya? Oi!" The frying pan was swung once, twice, thrice before Mundungus yelled in obvious pain. "Call 'im off! I'll tell ya alright?!" He glared around at them all looking defiant. "I know this guy, maybe 'e know somethin' 'bout these fights…"

Hermione scoffed derisively and spoke in an icy voice across him. "Listen Dung. I have no time for this, I have somewhere I have to be in…" She looked at her muggle wrist watch. "…ninety minutes, so I'll leave you in thirty. Before then, I'll want to know everything you know about this, including any role you might have played in it. If you do not comply, I'll leave you in the capable hands of Malfoy and Kreacher here. Do you really wish to be bashed repeatedly with a frying pan by Kreacher while your mind is being probed continuously by Malfoy? What sort of transgressions will we find evidence of, do you think?" She looked intensely at him and tilted her head to one side.

For the first time, he looked scared. "You wouldn't, you're an order member like me." He said nervously, while trying to call her bluff.

She didn't move but continued to glower at him. "Stay silent for the next twenty-nine minutes and try me."

He blinked.

Draco was standing beside the table enjoying the scene in front of him. Granger was epic when she threatened the dung-heap. Her magic crackled around her with obvious annoyance but she kept her gaze steady on Mundungus. It really was an impressive sight, Mundungus glared back at her, trying to gauge whether or not she was bluffing. She just kept her steady gaze on him and looked down at her watch again.

"You're down to twenty-seven minutes now, Dung." She said in an even voice.

Kreacher smacked him hard on the back of his head from behind again. "Ow! Oi, get 'im off me! I'll tell ya!"

"We're waiting in tense anticipation." Draco said in a bored almost Snape-like drawl.

"So this wizard comes up to me in Knockturn Alley 'bout six months ago, yeah, keeps 'is head good and down under 'is cloak, so I wouldn't recognize 'im if I saw 'im again, and 'e asks me 'bout the best places to bring in personal goods, without the ministry noticin'. I told 'im I wouldn't 'elp 'im less I got payed."

"How much did he pay you?" Draco was doing the questioning now and she was taking notes furiously, it reminded him of her behaviour in the classes at Hogwarts.

"I got fifty galleons to tell 'im, and another fifty to show 'im."

"Did you recognize the voice?"

"Nah, it was a distorted voice, magically mind."

"So how do you know it was a wizard and not a witch?"

"Huh… It just sounded like a wizard." Mundungus merely shrugged, looking very much like he didn't care at all.

"What were they bringing in?"

"I didn't ask, now did I?" Mundungus squinted at him, trying to be sly and avoid saying too much to them. Questioning the excuse for a wizard was like trying to befriend the Womping Willow, they clearly didn't give in easily. He found Mundungus' name was rather fitting, sitting down with all of his rags everywhere, he did resemble and smell vaguely like a fungus.

Hermione conjured a map of London, wordlessly and wandless, he was very impressed. She shoved the map across the table towards Mundungus. "Where?"

He looked mulishly at her, she just gave him a steely glare and repeated her question. "Where?"

He looked over the map scathingly and peaked up at the irate witch in front of him, seemingly thinking about how much he could get away with. He sighed in defeat and pointed at the map. It was at a small harbour in North Woolwich, just south of London City Airport.

"How are they concealing it from the muggles?"

"They use confundus charms if needed, my suggestion," He said proudly. "but they 'ave hidden the product in crates, no muggle would think twice 'bout 'em."

* * *

After spending more time questioning Mundungus, making sure they got every single detail from him, Hermione stood, dismissed the thief and went back to her office, Malfoy right alongside of her. Her assistant had gone home for the day, her files didn't seem like they had been touched but when she checked her wards someone had been in her office during the interview with Dung, a magical maintenance employee she didn't know named Herbert Redwood. But she found no drops in her office, so he had probably fixed the issues, thank Merlin, she had gotten tired of casting impervious charms on the files on her desk multiple times a day.

"Something wrong Granger?" He had noticed her go still for a second.

"No, I just checked my wards, no one has been in here, except someone from Magical Maintenance who has fixed the droplets in my office." She shrugged.

"Alright then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

She smirked at him. "Unless you want to come join my class?"

"I distinctly remember being told not to come there unless I could take it seriously. I can't really. But of course, seeing you bend over like that… I can take that very seriously if you want me to." He leered at her.

She laughed and smacked him on his arm, trying to dispel the very deep crimson blush creeping up on her cheeks. "Shut up Malfoy." _Was she flirting with him willingly now? Oh dear._ She grabbed her bag, floating all of her documents into it and left at top speed. This was not the ending to her day she had imagined. "I have to go. See you tomorrow in my office at eight." She tried very hard to appear very professional.

"Yes ma'am." All she could hear as she left was his dark chuckle, and it sent shivers up and down her spine. _Damn._


	6. Arguments

Hermione left her office at top speed, she really had to stop leaving so late, she only had thirty minutes to get to the studio, change and centre herself. She needed her yoga today badly and without Malfoy's glances and general behaviour it would be so much more enjoyable for her, she was certain of it. She knew Ginny was going to be there, and Pansy too so maybe they would get coffee afterwards, she could use some girl-time for once.

Malfoy rattled her so much that she needed to take a deep breath multiple times a day and she had only worked with him for a couple of days now, he infuriated her to a level that was unprecedented for her in her adult life. He really was a smug bastard and he tested her patience most of the time but at least he was good at his job and had excellent focus, that was more than she could say about most of the people she worked with.

While walking swiftly through the atrium of the ministry, she spotted Harry standing by one of the floo fireplaces talking to three of the aurors in his department. Harry was the young head auror who was very humble about being in charge. His experiences and accomplishments with her and Ron during the war was considered quite enough experience for him to outrank many of the aurors who had been there longer than him. She and Ron had been offered auror positions as well by Kingsley, the Minister for Magic and a friend of theirs from the Order of the Phoenix but they had both declined. Hermione had requested and was granted her current job. Though her responsibilities had been substantially expanded and modified since she started working at the ministry. The reward she had received for her aid in ending the war had been promptly added to her new vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, though she had spent some of it on her retreat in Thailand, at that particular time in her life she didn't think there was a specific need to be skimpy.

Ron had preferred to live off his reward from the Ministry following the defeat of Voldemort, essentially not working and becoming a male version of a muggle socialite, always pictured in the latest gossip magazines, going out, sleeping in and getting drunk. He had even started to accept money for appearances. Again, more things she just didn't understand about him, why not have something to do instead of lounging days, weeks, or months away when you had a choice and a good choice at that? Of the three of them, Ron had chosen to actively stay in the spotlight, loving the feeling of standing apart from his brothers. It had driven them further and further away from each other during their relationship, they were just too different. She loathed the attention and actively tried to avoid it, even from her co-workers within the ministry. She wanted to be recognized and appreciated for her skills at her job, not for their rather uncomfortable prolonged camping trip which culminated in a huge battle where she lost too many loved ones. She had felt like they floundered and grasped at straws so many times during that time that it almost seemed like sheer dumb luck, now that she looked back on it. If Harry hadn't disarmed Malfoy at Malfoy Manor, they wouldn't have won, simple as that.

Malfoy. She frowned. And thus, she supposed, her thought process had come full circle.

Now, the saviour of the wizarding world beckoned her over, having just ended his conversation. She pulled herself from her rather sad reverie to go hug her best friend. She sighed, hugging him felt so familiar and homey. She really needed to spend more time with him.

"Mione, I got your memo, I've sent a couple of aurors to investigate fires with the muggle police department. How did it go with Dung?" Harry was wearing his standard aurors robes, his hair was a mess and he smiled widely at her.

"Well, he has developed an oddly shaped head from all of the times Kreacher has hit him with that frying pan." She tried very hard to keep her facial expression plain.

He looked mischievously at her. He was obviously thrilled that Kreacher had wacked Dung so many times but he was trying, very poorly, to disguise that fact. He'd never really forgiven the thief for stealing Sirius' things. "What a pity."

He was very unconvincing so she narrowed her eyes at him and smacked him round the head. "Harry James Potter, did you ask Kreacher to hit him for you?" When he didn't answer immediately, she smacked him again.

"Ow, stop it please." He rubbed the now sore spot on his head. "I didn't but I might have suggested that he wouldn't be forbidden assist you in any way you possibly needed." He grinned at her.

She put both hands on her hips, looking at him suspiciously. "Anything else?"

"I might have handed him the frying pan while I said that." This time he managed to deflect her before she could hit him again and he was still grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh Harry!" She really tried not to laugh, but I was very very hard. Still smiling she remembered that she didn't have time for this. "Actually, I have to go, my class is in twenty-five minutes." He nodded and gave her a quick peck on the check and she flooed to the closest apparition point.

She apparated to an alley close to the studio, her stress-levels a bit too high for her liking. She didn't like being late and it seemed like her morning was about to repeat itself now. Well, not if she could help it. She rushed in, changed, placed her things at the front of the class, got the music ready and went back outside in less than ten minutes. She had eight minutes till the class started. Starting her pre-class process, she took several deep breaths and stretched the sore muscles in her neck and lower back. She really needed this today.

* * *

After they had all changed, Hermione, Ginny, Pansy, Blaise and Daphne all went for coffee and salads at their favorite muggle place close to the studio. Well, they called it salads but in reality, most of them got the sticky hot wings with their salad and coffee. When they had all settled in, Pansy required a discussion of her newest acquaintance.

"He really is rather fascinating, he's a Weasley and no offence Ginny, but he's way more handsome and rugged than your other brothers. I really think he's quite a catch." Blaise scoffed beside her. "In Weasley standards honey, again, no offence." She kissed Blaise quickly and raised an apologetic hand towards Ginny, who was surprised by the Slytherin's reaction to Charlie.

"Then it's clear that you've never met my brother Bill, he's considered the handsome one of my brothers. But I guess you're right, he is definitely very rugged, I've never really thought about how handsome he is though." Ginny looked almost pensive.

"Pans, why is it important at all? You're engaged to Blaise, why do you care how handsome he is?" Daphne was completely thrown by her friend's reaction to meeting yet another Weasley, how many of them were there anyway?

Pansy had a glint in her eyes when she turned to look at Daphne. "I'll tell you why Daph." She paused for dramatic effect and looked around the table conspiratorially before settling on Daphne again. "Because I have a great plan which involves you meeting him." She clapped her hands and bounced in her seat. Her glee was almost infectious. Almost.

"Me?" Daphne looked deadpan at the witch next to her. "Are you playing matchmaker again Pans? You know very well just how fucked it went last time." She had tried to set her up with Theo Nott, a friend of Blaise and Draco and one of their Slytherin house mates. He'd been very courteous and she had really liked him until she discovered that he had some very particular non-negotiable tastes in the bedroom that had Daphne screaming at Pansy the day after their fourth date, she had apparated the hell out of his flat as soon as she had gathered her bag and coat.

Pansy ignored the pointed jibe. "Not playing at all Daph, he's positively wicked, you really need to meet this one. I'll set it up." She smirked and patted Daphne on her shoulder before taking a small sip of her caramel macchiato and sighing deeply.

Daphne scowled at her, the serene look on Pansy's face seemed to taunt her. "You will do no such thing, I have no interest in meeting this Charlie." She sniffed.

Hermione and Ginny was snickering at the exchange between the two women and Blaise looked between them as though it was a muggle tennis match. Ginny wasn't bothered that they discussed her brother, he could look out for himself. Though she did contemplate warning him of Pansy's plan.

"Yes you bloody well do, now trust me for once, will you?" Pansy asked a question but the arrogance of her voice made it clear that she didn't want or expect any opposition to it. She just gave Daphne a hard glare and, without giving Daphne a chance to say no, turned to question Hermione about working with Draco Malfoy. "So Hermione, how is it working with Draco?"

Hermione ran briefly through all of her recent encounters with Malfoy in her head and almost couldn't stop the pink blush creeping into her cheeks when she thought about his lingering gazes, the lines of his body, his smirk, his intelligence, his eyes… She mentally shook herself and tried to collect her jumbled feelings. Working with him should have been a breeze actually. He was organized, capable, intelligent and intuitive. All aspects that she appreciated very much in a co-worker. But he also possessed an unprecedented level of arrogance and contempt that annoyed her to no end, he was able to piss her off with just one look, he unsettled her so many times a day and always seemed to catch her off guard. She furrowed her brows deep in thought. A moment later she looked up and realized that she had waited a bit too long to answer.

"That bad?" Pansy looked almost concerned at her knitted brows.

"Oh, um, no, not that bad actually. I mean-" She tried to seem as casual as possible and had a hard time keeping her face straight. They needed to get off this subject, she did not like discussing it. She didn't even know what she thought herself really, it was very chaotic in her mind. She settled for the truth, albeit a vague version of truth. "-he's not that bad, but I would be lying if I said it was easy."

* * *

Blaise was watching her intently. If he didn't know any better, he would swear that he almost saw something of a blush on her face before she schooled her features into the passively agreeable mask he now looked at. He didn't know her that well and it didn't seem as though any of the women around the table had caught it so maybe he had imagined it? And on that note, why would the topic of Draco make Granger almost blush?

* * *

Pansy, being satisfied by Hermione's boring answer that there was no gossip there, steered the conversation to other topics, all the while bickering now and then with Daphne about the blind date with Charlie. It didn't seem as though Daphne's argument that Charlie would be opposed to the idea was relevant, to her it was a non-issue. Of course he would want to go on any blind date that she set him up on. Daphne tried repeatedly to drag Ginny into the conversation but she staunchly refused, saying over and over that she would leave it up to Charlie and not make any decisions on his behalf.

Daphne looked almost defeated, Pansy really was incredibly determined and was not to be deterred if she had a plan, which in this case meant that Daphne was now apparently going on yet another blind date arranged by her.

Hermione enjoyed this immensely. Even though Blaise was there, she would still define this as girl-time, since these were basically her store of female friends, except for Luna of course, if you could even call Pansy and Daphne her friends. Luna had once attended one of her classes and it had been hilarious. The blonde was definitely flexible enough to be very capable at yoga but it was her comical facial expressions during the poses that had made her giggle several times during the class, and along with her very interesting bulky and much too large acid green workout clothes, she wasn't able to concentrate during the class at all. Luna's conclusion afterwards was that she had attracted the nargles to the studio and that they were confusing Hermione when she needed to concentrate, which meant that it was probably best that she didn't return for more classes. Hermione had heartily agreed and hugged her friend tightly.

After a while, Blaise, having become tired of listening to the increasing bickering between his fiancée and the other witches, dragged her home with him, leaving Hermione, Ginny and Daphne behind. Just before she was pulled out the door by Blaise, Pansy called to Ginny. "Get your brother to owl me!"

Daphne sighed and turned to Ginny while staring at the table and running a single finger around the rim of her cup looking somewhat disconcerted. "I'm sorry, I have nothing against your brother, I don't even know him but Pansy has been pushing me on blind dates for years and almost all of them have been complete nightmares for me." The blonde looked up, pleading with them both to understand her reluctance to meet Charlie.

Ginny smiled. "He's not so bad you know and he's a bit of an adventurer working with dragons in Romania. If you won't be able to wiggle out of it, I'm sure you'll enjoy a date with him. Plus, he's only here for about ten days so there's a natural expiration date to your dating." She winked.

"But if he's only here for just more than a week, then what's the point?"

"To have fun." Hermione interjected with a smile on her face. "He really is great fun and he dearly loves a good laugh."

* * *

Getting into her office the next morning she found a short memo from Malfoy, detailing that he and Charlie, along with some of Malfoy's colleagues would start the background check on the employees at the Dragon Sanctuary and asking if she wanted to join them. It seemed very clear that he'd only sent the memo out of curtesy but she appreciated it anyway. He was making an effort at civility. It was a good start, if they could drop the animosity towards each other then they would hopefully work much better together. His dry humour she could do without as well. She quickly wrote back, saying they could just go ahead and that she would pursue those samples that she collected from the muggles.

She settled in behind her desk, levitated all of her case files onto it and started working. Almost four hours later, she was interrupted by her assistant who had popped her head in her office and was asking if she just wanted a sandwich from the cafeteria instead of going to lunch. She knew her boss well.

"Miss Granger, do you want a sandwich from the canteen? I'm heading to lunch now."

She looked at the time, once again amazed how time just flew by when she was focused. Her assistant, Sofia, was looking flustered and excited. Strange.

"Yes please, and a tea if you wouldn't mind."

"Coming right up. And also,-" She lowered her voice. "-I might take a slightly longer lunch break today, I'm meeting someone there today." She sounded breathless and her anticipation was very endearing. Mystery solved. Well, at least that mystery. But she'd never been able to deny Sofia anything.

"That's fine, enjoy your lunch. And thank you." She smiled at her assistant and went back to work. She really was lucky to have an assistant who was not only smart and efficient but who also was only a few years older than her and really nice person to spend so much time around.

After another few hours she sighed in frustration. Those samples hadn't yielded any further information than what they already knew. But the muggles themselves were another story, they were currently in St. Mungo's under supervision, recovering from the attack in the holding cell. She felt like she was missing some vital link that was hovering in front of her. How did those muggles come into contact with dragons in the first place? Who had hired them? How big was this anyway? The injustice of the treatment of these dragons got to her the most. They were so young and innocent, and it really was absolutely horrible that they were being made to fight each other. How could anyone be so cruel? And really, why would anyone actually watch that and bet on it?

A few loud noises outside her office made her look up. A loud bang and then her door was thrown open.

"Granger! What the fuck is this?" Lo and behold, Draco Malfoy had let his arrogant presence in her office be known. He marched over to her desk and slammed a newspaper onto it with an agitated look on his handsome face. Sofia was standing behind him with an apologetic look on her face, she nodded to her to get her to leave them alone. Malfoy was not taking his temper out on her assistant.

She bristled and gave him a puzzled and very annoyed look. He merely pointed to the newspaper. It was a small article on the fourth page, written by Rita Skeeter of course, regarding the Malfoy heir's first foray into a muggle yoga class and then a small description of yoga that was dripping with disdain. She looked up at him and he was glaring daggers at her.

"Who the hell have you been talking to?"

"What?" She injected as much dry humour as was possible into her question. "Don't you think I have better things to do than to talk to that Skeeter hag about your little attempt at yoga?"

"Well, someone has obviously told her. This is outrageous!" He was pacing in front of her desk now.

"Okay, listen,-" She needed him to relax and get back to work. He was very distracting for her to have in her small office and his alluring scent was creeping into her acute awareness of him. She stared at him while he was pacing agitated around her office. He was wearing navy slacks that fit his arse and thighs just right, a crisp white button up that had the top two buttons open and his hair looked like he'd run his hands through it all day. He was an incredibly sexy sight and after being cooped up in her office all day, she relished it. But she didn't. And she shouldn't. Oh, this was so confusing! But looking at his angry demeanour in front of her, he was an incredible turn on. He really was much too good looking. Well, at least as long as he kept silent. "-you need to relax Malfoy. Calm down." He scoffed. "There are quite a few witches attending the classes, it could have been anyone of them."

"But I kept in the bloody background! No one but Pansy and Blaise was supposed to know I'd gone to something like that! For fucks sake!"

"Oh, stop it. You sound like a petulant child. You are in the public eye because you're richer than Croesus and because of your former connection to Voldemort. You should be expecting crappy articles like this about basically everything you do."

He stopped pacing and eyed her speculatively. "You are forgetting the fact that they also write about me because I'm very handsome and charming Granger."

"Whatever Malfoy, stop acting like a child and get over it."

He smirked at her. That smirk threw her for a loop. Wasn't he supposed to be angry and embarrassed? "Dammit, I thought I could rile you up with this." He sat down nonchalantly in the chair across from her and put his feet up on her desk.

"Wait, what? You were deliberately trying to piss me off?"

"What can I say, I was bored and someone showed me this crap." He shook the newspaper. "Investigating all of those dragon keepers is fucking tedious work."

She sighed exasperated, of course he would pull some shite like this just because he was bored. "Really? How very professional of you." Her tone was as dry as the Atacama Desert.

"Oh, get over it, it was just a joke. Or a distraction. Whatever floats your boat. What are you up to?"

She huffed irritated. "I wrote you. I was checking the samples, which gave me nothing and now I was contemplating visiting the muggles in St. Mungos in case they have recovered some memories."

"They haven't, I checked earlier today."

"And you didn't think to tell me?" She narrowed her eyes at him, this was her case.

"I didn't see you earlier so I thought I would tell you later. It's later now." He shrugged, not perturbed by her sharp glare at all.

She huffed again and crossed her arms in front of her chest, he really was an annoying arrogant douche. "You are such an arse Malfoy." His eyes flew to her chest and his smirk grew into a seductive smile as his eyes met hers and held her gaze. This was not good. "Now go away."

"On one condition." He crossed his arms as well, keeping their eyes locked. It felt like a contest now.

"You don't get to make terms, get out of my office." She sat in her chair, looking at him as disinterestedly as possible.

"Only if you say please."

His smirk was lingering around those sculptured lips of his and his haunting silver gaze felt like it was physically burning her. She struggled hard to keep the outward disinterested composure she didn't feel at all. "That will only ever happen in your dreams. Now leave." She looked him straight in the face.

He chuckled seductively, that foreign sound did strange things to her body and she had to look away. "Well, I guess I'll see you in my dreams then." And he left her office, leaving her body tingling and her mind absolutely stunned and very annoyed at her body's betrayal.

* * *

The end of her working day couldn't come fast enough for her liking, an entire day without progress and having Malfoy around pulling tricks like that did some weird things to her normally well-functional brain. That evening she was having dinner at the Burrow and she always looked forward to that. It was usually completely chaotic and loud but it felt like home. All of the family was special to her. Even Ron in some way.

To avoid being late, an awful occurrence that had happened way too much lately, she rushed through the ministry to the fireplaces in the atrium, trying not to get stopped by anyone. Only when she had re-emerged in the kitchen at the Burrow did she relax. That didn't last long though. Dishes were flying through the air and a red-faced Ginny was having a standoff with an irate Percy, who was blustering and spluttering something about manners. She got the gist of the argument, Percy had made some pompous remark about Ginny always being less than ladylike and Ginny had taken very much offence. She had to duck to avoid the flying plates, cups and saucers until everything was frozen in mid-air. It would seem that Mrs. Weasley had torn herself from the Celestina Warbeck special on the Wizarding Wireless to end the rapidly escalating sibling squabble.

"Will you two stop it this instant! I did not raise you to be treating each other like this!" Both her children started arguing their cases as if they were five and ten years old and not twenty-two and twenty-seven. "I will not hear another word from either of you! Behave or I will send you both to your rooms!"

"I do not live here anymore mother, you cannot send me to my room." Percy argued self-importantly.

Mrs. Weasley whipped around, both hands on her hips and practically screamed at her son. "Watch me!" And she twirled her wand one, two, three times and all dishes returned to their original places in their original condition. Both Percy and Ginny chose to take her threat seriously and turned, rather deflated, to go into the sitting room. Mrs. Weasley looked up and saw Hermione and her threatening demeanour disappeared instantly. "Hermione dear, come here, do you want some tea?" She pulled her into a crushing hug and almost didn't pause to take a breath. "I'm so happy you could join us today now that we have Charlie home for the week." She started chattering at her at an alarming pace while simultaneously directing Angelina and Fleur, who were helping with the cooking until Harry took pity on her ten minutes later and pulled her to the sitting room where everyone else was gathered.

The atmosphere at the Burrow was always relaxed and carefree. Ginny and Percy and Audrey were now talking animatedly about the new Quidditch regulations, having forgotten all about their fight a mere twenty minutes earlier and Bill, Charlie and George were building a large card house out of exploding snap cards on a coffee table, much to the amusement of Bill and Fleurs daughter Victoire, who was bouncing happily on her daddy's knees while talking complete nonsense at fifteen months old. Of course, the deck exploded just as George triumphantly placed the final card on the very top of the card house and they all started laughing, Victoire's giggling was especially endearing.

She was having a great time talking to Harry about the case and she told him about Malfoy's stunt this afternoon, explaining that he'd only done it to try and piss her off because the man was bored with doing a job he himself had chosen to do, but she did omit their very last exchange of words and he just laughed and laughed. That wasn't precisely the reaction that she was going for but she cracked a smile none the less. She had missed this badly, being cheery and relaxed around so many people who meant the world to her.


	7. The visit

The floo roared to life again and most occupants of the Burrow didn't react because they were expecting Mr. Weasley to return from work, but those who did look up, went dead still. It wasn't the family patriarch who stepped into the room. Hermione was facing Harry with her back to the room at large, so she didn't know what made him freeze mid-sentence. His eyes darted to something behind her and then back to her, a look of concern was stealing onto his features.

She frowned. "Harry, what is it?" She turned around before he could answer and there stood Ron with a stupid grin on his face and Lavender vulgarly draped on him. Ron looked around the room and only when his gaze reached Hermione did his grin fade. None of the angry looks from his family members had had that effect but her mystified expression made his ears turn bright red.

Mrs. Weasley spotted her youngest son and she shot a brief look of apprehension towards Hermione. He was her youngest son and she loved him dearly but she still hadn't quite forgiven him for the way he'd treated Hermione and she'd made it very clear that she did not want _that_ woman in her house and when Hermione was visiting, Ron needn't bother coming round either. She'd been heartily ashamed of her son's treatment of his best friend turned lover and since their break up Hermione didn't come round much anymore.

Hermione herself had become almost impervious to Ron now, he was her former best friend and she did still have hope that they could somehow get back to just friendship at some point but Lavender was another thing entirely. The woman always gave her looks that were a mixture of smugness and anger. Even considering the fact that they had shared a dorm for six years, she barely knew the woman standing before her.

Ginny was the first to speak. She was fearless and Hermione loved her friend all the more for it. "Ron, what are you and _that_ doing here?" Her voice was cold and she jabbed a finger towards Lavender. Ginny had also flatly refused to befriend, or indeed to even speak to Lavender since Ron had introduced her as his girlfriend to his family only two weeks after Hermione threw him out. The animosity from the family towards Lavender was unmistakable. Harry had gotten caught in the crossfire more than once but since he'd agreed with Ginny, Ron had stopped trying to bring Lavender around Grimauld Place.

Lavender blamed her alienation from her boyfriend's family on Hermione entirely and because of that she repeatedly had Ron take her to their family gatherings, even when she was expressly not invited. She had a firm belief that they would love her dearly as soon as they got to know her, just like Ron obviously did. Therefore she did not realize that her and Ron's pushing her company onto the Weasley family, along with their usually rather distasteful displays of affection, only had the very opposite effect of what she intended.

Ron didn't answer Ginny's question until Lavender nudged him. "We're here for dinner of course." He turned away from him angry siblings. "Hi mum." And he kissed her cheek, apparently not noticing or choosing not to notice the tension in the room.

His mother didn't move. She only looked at him completely nonplussed. All of them stared in shock, Fleur however, who entered the sitting room then, had the sense to say what was on everybody's mind. She tilted her head and looked at Ron in confusion. "Ronald? Why did you bring zee's one with you? You know she ees not welcome 'ere tonight, yes?" She searched around the room for Hermione and saw Harry next to her as well. "'Arry, 'Ermione, Audrey, will you not 'elp me and Angie in ze kitchen, ze family must talk." Fleur grabbed Victoire from Bill and left the room quickly, followed by Audrey, Hermione and Harry, none of them wanted to be caught in the cross fire when the bellowing started.

Sure enough, them leaving the room seemed to have Fleur's desired effect, because Mrs. Weasley, George and Ginny now started simultaneously yelling at Ron and Lavender, but mainly at Ron who seemed to be temporarily at a loss for words.

He'd brought Lavender multiple times to the Burrow and it had always been a bit awkward but seeing Hermione here was a whole new level of awkwardness. Just maybe he should have, possibly, a little bit, perhaps, have listened to Ginny when she'd told him expressly not to bring Lavender today and also to not exactly move round his schedule to get here himself. Come to think of it, hadn't Ginny actually told him that 'Mione would be here? Huh. But he'd been otherwise occupied thinking about an important appearance he was going to be doing in a week or so. He was doing it again now, tuning their badgering out which was by far the most pleasant way to endure it. This was so bloody stupid, this was _his_ family and the Burrow was the place _he_ grew up, he shouldn't have to walk around on eggshells just because his _ex_ was there. His family ought to side with him of course. He zoned back in to find his eardrums in severe pain, which only added to his newly discovered indignation at how he was being treated by his own family.

He looked around the room, taking in the faces of his mother, brothers and sister. They all looked angry. _At him._ He'd been with Lavender for more than a year now, they needed to adjust to that and sooner rather than later. They should be trying to get to know her and not blatantly ignore his current girlfriend in favour of his ex. Even if his ex was his former best friend.

At a brief break in the onslaught, Lavender could be heard giggling which Ginny took very much as an insult. "Why the hell are you giggling you daft bint?!" That wiped the smile off of Lavender's face. Truth be told, she'd also tuned the yelling out and was thinking smugly about how a couple of wizards' eyes had roamed her body when she'd been out shopping in Diagon Alley the other day. Her workouts and the new corset style outfits she was trying out was paying off. Ginny continued undaunted however. "This argument is mostly about why my brother is so dumb as to even be with you, let alone why he keeps on bringing you around us! We have absolutely no interest in knowing you at all!"

Ginny continued. "Ron, will you stop bringing her around any of us?! We do not want to get to know her!"

"Why?!" He answered angrily back, red-faced. "Why is it that you don't want to get to know my girlfriend?! I've been seeing her for more than a year and I bloody well live with her!"

"That's only because you've got nowhere else to go! We're all just waiting for you to wake the fuck up and dump her! The only reason you're living with her, is because none of us would want you in our homes because of what you did!" Ginny screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Why do you all care so bloody much about what I did to Hermione?!" His ears were turning red now too, a sure sign of danger. His tone was indignant, to the point of outraged. "She's not your family, I am! You're all turning your back on me when it should be me you're supporting instead! I'm only your bloody brother!"

George could now be heard over the other voices. "Because she's family too, you daft prick! You wronged her, it wasn't the other way round! You didn't see how broken she was afterwards but we all did and you just dont give a shit, do you?!"

Ron started spluttering furiously, seemingly too enraged to speak.

Bill stepped forward. He'd been silent during the entire exchange but as the eldest of the Weasley bunch, he felt he needed to make his position clear. The argument was derailing completely now as Ron was close to finding his voice again. "Ron, just shut up and listen! We all consider Hermione a sister, something your actions in and after school only confirmed. She's been an integral part of all of our lives almost since you were eleven and we will not reject her because you were a drunk arse towards her. We see her very rarely because she doesn't want to be here when you two are around, but in this instant both mum and Ginny actually told you that she was coming tonight and that neither of you were invited which you blatantly chose to ignore. The reason why we're taking Hermione's feelings so much into account is because we're all deeply ashamed of how you treated her when we all know that you were actually considering proposing to her at the same time." Lavender squeaked beside Ron. "We all love you but only because you are our brother. That doesn't mean that we have to like who you have become or the choices you make. This isn't you Ron, the fame has befuddled you to think that you are entitled to respect just because you're famous, but you have to earn it from us."

Ron was incredulous. "Earn it? Earn it?! I AM YOUR BROTHER! YOU OUGHT TO RESPECT _ME_ NO MATTER WHAT!"

Arthur Weasley had arrived by apparition, having had a good day at work and looking forward to a lovely dinner with his family, he was rather shocked when he heard Bill taking in the other room. He was incredibly disappointed in Ron but hadn't wanted to tell him that for fear of how he would take it. He'd always been prone to take offence easily. But listening to his youngest son's sense of misplaced entitlement made him change his mind. He stepped out from behind the door and Ron gasped. "Son, you need to calm down right now. I love you, but Bill is right. We are not choosing Hermione over you, but we will not cut off all contact with her just because you're not together anymore. You've disappointed us badly and you need to earn our trust and respect back."

* * *

Fleur and Angelina was busying themselves with dinner while Victoire was playing happily in the corner with Audrey, the powerful muffliato cast by Fleur ensuring that she was completely unaware of the raging argument in the sitting room.

Hermione was standing in the kitchen, frozen and mortified. She could hear every word from the other room since the argument had begun. The Burrow wasn't exactly sound proof as they had all discovered whenever Ginny got irritated, but her and Harry were holding hands just inside the kitchen, well, more like clenching hands. She was so tense that she was effectively crushing Harry's hand but she didn't notice. The blush on her face was very telling, she hated this. Not only was she and Ron absolutely not friends these days but she was also the cause of the fight in the adjacent room. It was all her fault. Her face must be tomato-red because she felt horrified and flustered. Their relationship hadn't ended well but this was not something she would ever have wanted.

Harry was deep in thought, listening to the argument next door and trying to soothe Hermione as best he could. He could almost feel the tension radiating off of her. He could tell that she didn't just want to stand there anymore so he dragged her out into the garden, they needed to talk away from everyone else. Whenever Hermione came to the Burrow, the subject of Ron was always swept under the rug not to be mentioned at all. Both Harry and Ginny felt that that was the wrong way to go about it because it was inadvertently the cause of the current situation. The Weasley's were all clear how they felt about this but they hadn't exactly told Hermione about it, they had just assumed that she knew. Now that the argument was spilling into the entire house, it couldn't be avoided anymore.

She almost chocked when she was merely trying to keep breathing. "Oh gods, I have to leave. Now."

"No 'Mione, please. Ron and Lavender will be gone soon."

"This isn't how it was supposed to be. We were supposed to be happy but we weren't, we really weren't Harry. We didn't work properly. I just wish it hadn't ended like it did. I sort of loathe Lavender, she always looks at me with such hatred. I'm not even sure what I ever did to her! She didn't hate me like this in school."

She had started pacing, throwing her hands in the air with frustration over this entire situation. Her rant was by no means finished though. "But this! This is just awful! I hate it Harry! He's right though. Ron that is. His family should side with him instead of being so nice to me."

She made to go on, but Harry stepped directly into her path, making her come to an abrupt halt. "Hermione, please stop. Do you know how bonkers you sound?" She huffed and walked around him, but he kept on talking.

"Of course his family is siding with you and why shouldn't they? If we overlook the fact that they consider both you and me family, what Ron did was appalling no matter the state of your relationship. Don't forget, Ginny saw you both right after and got the story from both of you fresh, what he did was not alright and he never intended telling you about it by the way. He took the cowards way out instead of talking to you about whatever was bothering him about your relationship. That's the problem."

"Oh Harry. I want to believe you but that's just it, I feel so guilty. I drove him away you see, at least I think I did,-" She stopped her pacing and knitted her brows in thought. "-and that's why he did what he did. We were both somewhat guilty and I know now that we would have broken up anyway, even if he hadn't cheated. We just didn't work right somehow, none of you should blame Ron for everything. I have to stop this."

She started towards the sitting room, trying very hard to be brave, with Harry practically running to keep up trying to call her back. What she found inside was several red-faced shouting Weasleys, a silently crying Molly and a bored-looking Lavender.

"Stop it, stop it all of you!" No one reacted so she stomped her foot hard once and a powerful ripple of magic from her silenced everyone in the room.

Before she could continue however, Ron reacted. He narrowed his eyes at her, grabbed Lavender and started for the fireplace. "We're leaving, you'll all get your way, don't worry." The arrogance and resentment in his voice was unmistakable. "This is bullshit you know. Don't contact us again." They stepped into the green flames and were gone.

A deafening silence was left in the wake of their departure but both Molly and Arthur went over to Hermione and hugged her. Molly wiped her eyes and smiled at her. "He'll come round soon enough. Now come have dinner dear."

George and Charlie were rushing towards the dinner table. "Alcohol!" George shouted. "We need lots of alcohol right now."

* * *

Draco was sitting in the opulent light grey velvet wingback chair in Malfoy Manor thinking hard. He was waiting for his mother to appear for dinner and killed time by going through the case in his head. It was just like Granger said, they were missing something obvious. He was certain there was something that was dangling right in front of them, it was especially annoying. He huffed irritated and took a slow sip of his firewhiskey, savouring the taste of it.

His mother made yet another grand entrance, which was ever her style. The double doors at the end of the hall outside the dining room was thrown wide and she walked calmly and regally towards him. She looked magnificent as always and she appeared to be in a great mood. How odd. She wasn't usually in a bad mood, but today she was positively chipper. He stood up and kissed her cheek.

"We will not eat for another twenty minutes, Andromeda and Teddy are joining us." She smiled happily and sat down opposite him on the sofa and accepted a glass of wine from a bowing house elf wearing a much too frilly starched mustard yellow dress that clashed horribly with her skin tone, or what looked like a dress at least. It could also be a strange cake maybe. She even had a hat to match. Go figure.

After the war, his mother had chosen to free all of their house elves whether they wanted it or not. She was sick of anyone ruling over other beings. However, they were all more than welcome to stay and work at Malfoy Manor. It had taken them some years to get used to but now they enjoyed their one galleon a month and bought the most outrageous outfits with them. Case in point, another house elf appeared at his left with a tray in hand wearing some kind of uniform with a sash, gold tassels, top hat and everything. He smiled to himself and shook his head. His mother indulged the house elves to the point of actually having a tailor come by every few months or so to fulfil their crazy outfit requests and if they didn't have enough to pay for their outfit, his mother would pay the difference. When asked about it, she had given him a distinctly pointed look and told him point blank that if she'd had grandchildren, then she could shower them with affection but for now she'd just have to settle for making the elves happy. Since then he'd decided not to bring it up again.

"So, how is the love-hunting going? Am I any closer to a grandchild yet?"

Well, his mother wasn't exactly known for skirting awkward topics. He scowled. "No of course not, I saw you just a few days ago. Really mother, what did you expect?"

"I was expecting you to try darling. You told me you would. But I can tell you do not wish to discuss it, so I'll leave it alone." He sighed in relief but he should have known better. His mother was a Slytherin after all. "I had a request for betrothal with you just the other day from the Greengrasses you know, they are lovely people. Such manners and breeding, you don't just find that anywhere. Also, the Carrows send their regards, and Poppy Davis stopped by yesterday, she was sad that you were not here at the time but really, no one expected you to take a job at the ministry when you have Malfoy Enterprises and the Malfoy vaults at your disposal."

She could have gone on forever if he hadn't stopped her. "Mother, stop it. I know that the families you are referring to are families with eligible Slytherin daughters but I have no interest in any of them. Of course you would have met with them all within a week after I've promised you to try. But remember, I promised to try to find happiness, not to find a wife."

"Oh pish-posh, it's the same thing. And you aren't exactly working hard at it, so I thought you might need a bit of help. I know that Daphne Greengrass is a friend of yours, so that would maybe be odd, but perhaps I can convince Astoria to go on a date with you again. Would you like that?" Her question was left unanswered as the floo roared to life and Andromeda and Teddy stepped out.

His mother rose to greet them and he started to get up as well but before he'd even moved he was pounced by rather raucous Teddy Lupin. "Cousin Drake, cousin Drake, have you seen my new broomstick?" He held out a fine toy broom. "Grandmama says I can't fly too high but if you're with me, she would let me fly higher than three feet off the ground, please, please, please will you fly with me?!" Today his hair was a bright sky blue that clashed amazingly with his red shirt and camouflage green pants. The five-year-old had thrown himself into his lap and was bouncing with all of his might, excitement written all over his little cute face. For some reason Teddy had cast his love on him even though Draco knew very well that he did not deserve it. He had basically fought Teddy's parents in the war. But the natural reservation he usually felt around people was completely lost on Teddy and he had somehow snaked his way into Draco's heart, there was absolutely no way that he could be his normally stoic self around him. Maybe the boy would even be a Slytherin but he probably shouldn't get his hopes up, this boy was so inherently good that even the possibility was very slim.

"Of course I'll fly with you, come on, let's go get my broom." They both stood and made their way to the entrance hall where the brooms were kept.

"Draco, Teddy, dinner is in five minutes." His mother reminded them.

"Oh, give them fifteen, then you and I can catch up." Andromeda smiled at Draco and Teddy, who were holding hands and grinning like fools at her words. Teddy looked so tiny next to Narcissa's tall handsome son but he and Harry was the main male influence the child had so she indulged their interactions as much as possible. "Just remember, not too high up Teddy." She chided with a smile.

"Yes Grandmama!" He shouted as he sped outside laughing happily with Draco hot on his tail and they were both airborne within seconds.

Andromeda turned to her sister. "So, how are you Cissa?"

"Well, I'm trying to get Draco to commit to someone. That bachelor life isn't going to give me any grandchildren and seeing Teddy makes me long for that so badly. He adorable by the way."

She smiled. "I know, he makes the loss of Ted and Dora tolerable every day. Well, he makes it easier to bear." She accepted a glass of wine from one of the elves, took a fortifying gulp and said to her sister. "Cissa, you have to ease up on Draco. He won't find a wife or love if you continually hound him about it. Let him find it on his own."

"Oh no, I couldn't do that, he'd be positively lost without my help."

"Yes, you can. Leave him be and give him time. You are not yet that old, you'll have a grandchild soon enough."

"I know." She hesitated and then said quietly. "But I want one now. I would love it. It gets awfully lonely here."

"I know dear, patience." And Narcissa received a comforting hug and a kiss on the cheek by her sister.

* * *

After dinner Draco joined Theo Nott and Gregory Goyle for drinks at the latest wizarding hot spot bar in Diagon Alley, Vici, which was run by two wizards and a witch, one of whom were Greg. It was rather amazing that Greg had been one of the originators of this large upscale luxurious bar. It had a nod to the past as well as an eye for the future, it even had a few muggle _eclectical_ appliances behind the bar.

"My mother is hounding me again regarding marriage and children, she's basically started the courting of the families she deems acceptable already, I'll be lucky if I'm not engaged by Christmas."

They were sitting at the bar, which was extravagant and welcoming at the same time. The entire place had a feel of an old-fashioned bar jazzed up. The theme of the bar matched the name, Vici meaning won, it was about war but it felt safe and glorious even. When you walked in the door the outside was separated from the bar by a heavy draped dark green velvet curtain with gold thread around the edge. Once you passed that, the first thing you saw was the bar itself. It was magnificent. It was made entirely of different metals and from top to bottom it had an intricate design depicting the events in the battle of Hogwarts, ranging from the preparations in the castle and the initial death eater attack to the moment Voldemort's own rebounding curse killed him in the great hall and cheers erupted. It almost looked like one of those muggle cartoons he'd seen once, except this was much more detailed. The countertop itself was a large slab of deep lacquered mahogany wood. Behind the bar all the different bottles were on display with lights behind them and looking around the room, he saw wood, leather and metal everywhere. The colours were warm, pillows were different shades of blues and greens with accents in gold and in the corner sat a three-man band playing soothing jazz in muggle tuxedos. The staff, including Greg, all wore muggle tuxedos as well, even the women but they had been changed to fit to a womans body. There were booths and private alcoves all around the edge of the room in different levels and smaller tables on the main floor but you couldn't book any sort of table here. It was first come, first served, an idea of the witch's that was very popular. No matter how much money you had, you couldn't get a table in here if there were no available tables.

"Well, that's one positive about both parents being long gone, I can do whatever the fuck I want. And what I want is to fuck. Simple." Theo shrugged and smiled.

"Don't be so crass Theo." Theo had always been crude so his reply was pretty much automatic by now. Even Greg wasn't impressed.

"You know, talking about the women in here like that will get you thrown out." Greg handed them both their drinks from behind the bar, a green concoction made from firewhiskey and muggle mixers topped with bluebell flames. "The flaming serpent gentlemen, enjoy." Greg had improved a lot in recent years. He had by no means become suddenly handsome or anything like that but he'd found his place in life and he was happy. He worked at the bar almost every day, he was courteous to every customer no matter their blood status and he'd even found love in the form of the ever friendly and gentle Susan Bones, who was one of the owners. Speaking of, she turned the corner, greeted them and kissed Greg demurely on his cheek. His whispered "Hi love." could only be heard because his voice was so deep, before she moved on to greet the other guests.

"So, speaking of fucking,-" Theo turned to him while examining his new drink with obvious scepticism. "-how is it working with Granger? I hear she's fit as fuck these days. Something about a muggle workout she's doing." Theo's eyes lit up with an interest he didn't like for some reason.

"How the hell do you know I'm working with her?"

"Blaise. Saw him the other day at that café of his."

"It's fine." He didn't feel like divulging anything about her, especially to Theo. Working with her was… confusing. That was the only conclusion he'd reached so far. "She's pretty much the same as in school but we've all grown up, right?"

"Not Theo here." Greg grinned at them both.

"Ha ha. Very funny. I get it. Not Theo Nott, how clever Greg." He said moodily and grimaced. Draco laughed at his annoyed expression, it wasn't every day that Gregory Goyle got the better of Theo.

"Come on, don't tell me you haven't thought about it…-" He got a dreamy look on his face. "-bending that fine arse over and just fucking her argumentative brains out. With that huge brain of hers it could take a couple of days. I'm certain she's got a freaky side. I'd do her I a heartbeat." He sighed happily but then a thought occurred to him. "Mate, you work with her and see her every day. Maybe I should stop by, eh?" He waggled his eyebrows.

Draco sat rooted to the spot and stared blankly at his drink. His mind was screaming bloody murder at Theo, he wasn't to come anywhere near his witch. Hermione. Granger. Damn it. Well, not ever anyway! No. Nope. Not bloody happening! Theo was a freakishly kinky bastard, he'd heard some quite disturbing stories from the man. He liked some soft kink himself but Theo was on a whole different level, he would defile her in that revolting dungeon of his first chance he got. _Hell no!_ Why he was even interested in her was beyond him, she wasn't that interesting. Though she was. He thought about the day they started working on the case when she was on the floor looking for her quill, those small muggle suspenders had been very interesting. _For fuck's sake_ , he didn't know up from down when it came to that witch. Confusing was only too right.

Meanwhile, Theo was still taking about her, completely oblivious to Draco's internal battle. Greg however, was either uncharacteristically observant to Draco's reaction or he really did not appreciate the graphic Granger-fantasy he was describing.

"I mean, can you imagine her splayed out, upside down and chained up of course, me holding my…"

Greg cut him off in that gruff deep voice of his. "Oi Theo, no one wants to listen to the filthy fantasies from that dirt you call a brain."

"What? I'm just saying, I could make her dreams come true."

"More like her nightmares." Greg quipped and Draco forced a laugh and changed the subject quickly. Why the hell was everyone around him hellbent on discussing either his lacking love-life or Granger?


	8. Hungover

Hermione woke up on a sofa, her neck was stiff and one of her arms felt numb. It wasn't her own sofa though. It didn't feel the same. She kept her eyes closed tight, she could feel a pounding starting right at the front of her hairline and behind her eyes. _Ugh._ She tried to think about how she got herself in this situation. She felt like she'd only slept a couple of hours. Well, maybe that was just the case.

She decided she ought to assess her current situation better so she opened her eyes blearily trying to take in her surroundings. Her eyes felt gritty and her vision was blurred almost to the point of seeing double. She blinked and looked around, she recognized her surroundings immediately, the Burrow. She recognized something else as well, sprawled on top of the dining room table surrounded by lots and lots of bottles was Percy Weasley. Now that her eyes were slowly focusing, she could see that the bottles were all placed as an outline of Percy. He couldn't have moved at all since they placed them. She clenched her eyes shut. Wait…

The memories flooded back to her. They had all been drinking heavily last night. They'd been placing the many empty bottles around Percy when he fell asleep earlier than the rest of them during a demonstration to end a debate about something or other on top of the dinner table. The argument with Ron had unleashed something in all of them and they had drunk themselves into a stupor, all except Fleur. She had gone back to Shell Cottage with Victoire, rolling her eyes at them as they had cheered her and the little girl to the floo. Now that she thought about it, they had actually made a procession behind them and cheered them on. Victoire had loved it of course, laughing madly all the time and even Fleur had cracked a small smile at her daughter's happy giggling.

She sat up holding one hand to her head. It felt like it was splitting open. She couldn't help it, she rubbed the heels of her hands hard in her eyes and looked blearily around the messy sitting room. She spotted several redheads prostrate on or beside different kinds of furniture and all were fast asleep. None of them still lived at the Burrow so Arthur and Molly had redecorated many of their former rooms. She couldn't see Harry and Ginny though, maybe they were upstairs. Charlie was on the floor hugging a pot plant and George was hugging Charlie from behind. It actually looked rather cosy in a weird sort of way. Bill was sitting up in a corner, head back and completely out with his mouth open wide and drool down his chin. She couldn't see Angelina or Audrey, maybe they had gone to bed earlier than the rest of them.

They all looked like hell. She felt like hell. But it had also been one hell of a night. She had no idea when any of them had fallen asleep. Thank Merlin it was Saturday, no work unless she chose it and today she was definitely _not_ choosing it.

Something stirred behind the sofa she was sitting on so she peaked over the back and saw Harry manoeuvring himself as gently as possible from Ginny's arms. They hadn't slept in a bed either after all. As he had untangled himself he looked straight up into Hermione's eyes with his own very bloodshot ones and mouthed _outside?_ She nodded and they moved as quietly as possible out the door. As soon as they were outside they both flopped down on the grass, squinting up at the beautiful morning sky. Bright blue with and waning edge of orange to the east and a few smatterings of clouds dotted here and there. It was cold but Hermione quickly conjured them both blankets, pillows and glasses which she instructed Harry to fill to the brim with cold water as soon as possible. She then reached her entire hand and most of her lower arm into her small black bag and pulled out a small vial.

Harry smiled, Hermione was always ready for anything. Kingsley, or the Minister for Magic as he was sometimes known, had told her not to have undetectable extension charms on her bags anymore as it was not exactly prudent if it was discovered by the general wizarding public. It was mostly frowned upon because those charms had been used in the past to transport all sorts of nasty stuff, from an array of cursed items to an entire dragon in one particular instance. Hermione had chosen to ignore him completely and had placed that charm on most of her bags. As she had told Harry when he tried to chastise her: _He won't know anyway and neither you or I are planning to tell him, right?_ Her question had been accompanied by a particularly pointed look from her which had him agreeing with her instantly. Even as a seasoned auror and the reputed savior of the wizarding world, Hermione sometimes still scared him.

She poured precisely three drops from the vial in each glass and they both emptied their glasses greedily and lay down to let the potion do its job and cure their raging hangovers. Usually you had to empty a vial of hangover potion to get the desired results but Hermione had tweaked the potion slightly in Thailand for her own benefits. Now she didn't need to stock up that many vials of the potion, she could just use a few drops of this and she found she only had to make more every six months or so. However, given the sudden commotion in the sitting room she might have to make some more this week, she had a feeling that everyone at the Burrow would need some of it today.

* * *

Inside Ginny had woken up, a warmth had left her so she couldn't sleep anymore. All she could see was the back of the sofa until she spotted ginger hair on the floor on the other side of the sofa. She grinned and sat up quickly but regretted her rash action immediately, her head pounded as though a herd of centaurs had just trampled through it. She groaned, pulled herself up to stand slowly and surveyed the damage around the room. She couldn't help but grin again, yesterday had been great. Spectacular even. They had all been pissed out of their minds and they had needed it. Bloody hell had they needed it. They had never let loose like this as a family and she decided right then and there that it wouldn't be the last time either.

Her bothers were scattered around the room, Percy in the most precarious position so she decided to wake him up first. He would in turn wake up the rest of the house, her grin had turned positively wicked. She tiptoed over to the dining table and whispered quietly but firmly in his ear.

"Percy Weasley. The Minister is waiting for your rapport, send it to him at once."

Percy jerked awake violently mumbling something unintelligible. He clutched his pounding head at the bangs, clanking and shattering of all of the bottles that had been placed precariously around him as they hit the floor, the chairs and other bottles. Every time he moved even slightly, more bottles would clatter loudly through the house.

The effect on the other sleeping Weasleys were instant. Bill jerked up started yelling at Percy at the same time as George shouted that they should all stay quiet because he was sleeping. Charlie showed the pot plant away from him with obvious confusion and then disentangled himself from his brother's arms looking very annoyed.

"Will you bloody well stop that Perce?! My head is killing me!" Charlie shouted at him.

Percy spluttered and huffed loudly. "It's not my fault, I didn't put these bottles here you know!"

"Shut up, shut up all of you." Bill said grumpily from the corner of the room with his head in his hands.

"What is that hellish noise Arthur?" Molly Weasley could be heard asking piercingly from upstairs.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Molly dear. Let's just go back to sleep." Arthur yawned loudly.

Another clanking ruckus shook the inhabitants of the house again and many different voices could be heard shouting: "PERCY!"

* * *

Outside Hermione and Harry decided that it was time for them to go back inside. Since they were now both hangover free, they agreed to make breakfast for everyone. Full English with all the trimmings and enough coffee and tea to go around.

It was an unusually quiet affair until Hermione announced to the groaning grumbling group that she had hangover potion for everyone, then they cheered hoarsely, drank and cheered again more heartily before attacking the food with much more enthusiasm than just a few moments ago.

The topic of Ron was brought up by Ginny. "So, is anyone going to speak to the damned tosser?"

Everyone around the table stilled at her words but most ignored her, looked around awkwardly and went back to their breakfast with frowns and pensive expressions. After a few silent moments Charlie spoke up though.

"I'll talk to him, not today but I will. He's our brother."

"Well, when you see him tell him from me that him and Lavender can go fuck themselves for all I care." Ginny was obviously still fuming from the fight.

George couldn't help himself. "Well my dear sister, I am certain that they already are." He gave her an exaggerated wink and a grin. She frowned and tossed a sausage at him, hitting him squarely in the face. The tension in the room dissipated and the rest of the table laughed.

* * *

A pounding awoke Draco in the morning. He opened his eyes sleepily and closed them again quickly, covering his eyes with his arms. He'd forgotten to close the drapes in his bedroom last night, the sun was streaming in making everything seem golden. It wasn't. The pounding didn't abate either. _Just my fucking luck_.

"Draco! Get up!" Pansy's voice rang through his flat. He groaned loudly but she didn't stop pounding at the door. Not his front door, his bedroom door. "You're taking me to brunch, now get the fuck up!"

"You've still got a fiancée, right?" He shouted back irritated.

"Of course, you grumpy arsehole." He could practically hear her eyes rolling.

"Well then why the hell am _I_ taking you to brunch?"

"Why, you're buying me brunch at his place of course." She said almost sweetly, but then her voice changed and it was back to the demanding screech. "Now get up!"

He sighed into his soft pillow resigned. She wouldn't go away. The pounding didn't stop either. He wouldn't put it past her to have bewitched something to pound on his door repeatedly until he got up. And he needed sustenance. And coffee. Between flying with Teddy and drinks at Vici, he actually hadn't eaten that much yesterday. That would also explain the headache. A hangover potion was needed so he grabbed his wand, accioed it from his bathroom cabinet, uncorked it and gulped it down in one. It helped significantly to restore his mood to something better than merely groans and profanities. Well, now he still had that, plus no headache and a healthy appetite for Blaise's delicious food.

He got up grumpily and trudged to the door, throwing it open wide to see Pansy Parkinson smirking at him from across the hall while inspecting her nails and one of his books was continually knocking on his chest.

He narrowed his eyes at her and gestured to the book. "Will you get it to stop that?"

Her smirk didn't even flinch under his withering gaze, he had to give her some credit for that. She waved her wand lazily and the book zoomed back to its place in his library "Are you up yet? You are most certainly not dressed to be out in public." He rolled his eyes at her while she started studying her crimson nails and looking bored.

"I need a shower first, wait wherever you want." He was curt with her but she didn't care at all. It was nothing new from him, he was always easily irritated in the morning, especially after drinking the night before. She shrugged and started wandering through his flat, her heels clacking on the hardwood floors.

He stood in the shower, letting the cascading water undo some of the knots in his neck and back. He was wound tight, he knew that. An annoying Pansy in his flat didn't exactly help matters but he knew that he didn't have a chance in hell at getting out of her plans for today. _Unfortunately._ If Pansy hadn't come by, he would have released some of that tension in a very tangible way but Pansy's proximity and regular questions through the bathroom door didn't exactly do it for him so he was reduced to just accept his fate.

That blasted case ran through his mind again and again. There was something they needed to crack, the Dung-person did have some information they could use though. He and Granger needed to go to that place they were docking the prams and soon. He sighed heavily and rinsed his hair out before lathering his body with soap. He took his time, something that obviously annoyed the hell out of Pansy on the other side of the locked bathroom door, but she could wait. He ran though some of the casefiles in his head but nothing stood out. Again. Only the shoddy work and noticeable missing information that had been referenced in some of the former caseworker's notes. Someone in Granger's department had tampered with the files but they couldn't seem to pinpoint anyone. All had been cleared with flying colours, it pissed him off to no end. This case just got under his skin.

"Are you fucking ready or what? I am waiting like a goddamn owl out here!" Pansy screeched. She almost sounded like a harpy. An irate harpy.

He chuckled to himself. It would seem that he had succeeded in pissing her off as much as she had him. Perfect. That'll teach her not to barge into his private space and demand to be taken to brunch while he was still sleeping. He loved her, she was a great friend but she was also an extremely annoying friend at times.

He turned off the shower and stepped out, towelling himself off. "Relax Pans, I'll only be a few minutes." He tucked the towel around his waist and used his wand to dry and set his hair before Pansy's _wonderful_ voice filtered through the door again.

"You fucking relax. You're taking longer baths than both Greengrass sisters put together."

He opened the door the find a scowling Pansy with her arms crossed in front of her chest and her foot tapping on his hardwood hallway floor. He ignored her and went to his walk-in closet. He got dressed quickly, black slacks and a light grey button up should do it.

Pansy gave him a scathing look when he emerged from his wardrobe. "Really? _That's_ what you're wearing?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "Can it Pans. I'm ready, let's just get going." He pushed her out the door and towards the café.

* * *

Blaise was brewing up a storm when they got there. He was completely red faced and shouted fifteen orders a minute at his staff. The place was crazy busy, in between kissing Pansy briefly and greeting Draco with only a nod, he practically ran around the small place. "Hey love, take the chefs table in the corner, a couple of the chefs might be there and if they are, send them my way, I need them!"

Draco merely raised his eyebrows at Pansy after they'd shooed two chefs and a new waitress back to work. "This chaos is what you woke me for?"

He'd been here many times before. It really was a great place that Blaise had set up. Well, he'd set it up with Pansy. He knew very well that the chaos was well worth it. The hardwood floors were faded and worn with dips and crevices scattered about, the walls were covered in a soft light brown and the room filled with wooden benches, armchairs and sofas with plush pillows and all of the light fixtures was crystal chandeliers in different sizes, shapes and colours placed at an interval of approximately ten feet apart about the room. The plush furniture was in muted or warm tones of orange, brown and green with golden tassels wherever there was space for tassels. The tassels were obviously Pansy's choice, he wanted to roll his eyes at that. All in all, however, the café had a quite airy feel but the only reason such a furniture-filled room had any claim to the concept of 'airy' was the height of the ceiling which was easily fifteen feet with wooden beams in a dark brown hue cris-crossing the otherwise white ceiling. It made the room seem much less stuffy than it otherwise could have been.

"Now _you_ can it Drake, you know the brunch here is excellent." She smirked at him before getting up and going behind the counter and making them both two strong coffees and placed their order with Blaise. She sauntered back and pointedly ignored the waitress' glare at her audacity. It would seem that the waitress didn't know that Pansy actually owned a considerable part of the café alongside Blaise. And she owned all of those bloody golden tassels.

"So,-" Pansy started the process of what she called 'tweaking' her coffee, which mainly consisted of pouring loads of milk, sugar and some sort of syrup into it. How she was able to drink that concoction was beyond him as he sipped his black coffee. "-there was actually a reason that I dragged you out of bed this early morning."

"Indeed? Enlighten me." He had been somewhat mollified by the arrival of coffee to their table.

"Well, I've been making some progress regarding your request to procure tickets to those fights we've been discussing. I think I am actually getting somewhere."

His entire demeanour changed instantly and he was much more animated. "Really? I mean, how?"

"Well, you know some of the crowd that hangs around Flint and his types." He nodded and frowned. They were not good company. Marcus Flint was a real bastard. "They go to that sort of crap. I've had to pull a whole lot of tricks and cunning and one of them might think I'm single but whatever, I should be on the list for the next fight for four tickets. Well, hopefully four, otherwise you're my date."

"You are fucking amazing Pans." He saluted her with his coffee cup.

She sighed heavily with a grin on her face. "I know."

* * *

_She was running._

_Away from them._

_Hexes flying in all directions._

_She needed to run faster but her legs couldn't do it._

_Her lungs burned._

_Her heart pounded like galloping centaurs._

_They were close now._

_She had to keep running._

_She heard the sounds of someone being wrestled to the ground, Ron from the sound of it._

_They were a package deal._

_All three or no one._

_The stinging hex left her wand before she even thought about it, distorting Harry's face._

_She was captured along with her friends._

_She could hear her pulse in her ears._

_They were vile._

_She felt Greyback's nauseating breath on her face._

_They didn't believe Ron's lie._

_The light twisted._

_She was being thrust roughly inside Malfoy Manor, bound tightly._

_The Malfoy patriarch was shaking slightly, looking agitated._

_Not himself._

_Narcissa Malfoy was eying the scene with barely concealed apprehension._

_Draco Malfoy was looking at Harry, fear in his eyes._

_The doors were thrown open._

_Bellatrix entered the room._

_Everything changed._

_The light twisted._

_She was on the floor then, screaming._

_Screaming for her life, trying to safekeep the truth._

_She was losing the fight._

_Losing her will._

_No one could help her now._

_The cruciatis ripped through her again and again, tearing all of her nerve endings apart._

_Still she screamed._

_Still she thrashed._

_No one could help her._

_She would die here._

_A knife sliced into her and she kept on screaming._

_It was hacking away at her._

_Suddenly everything went still._

_She could hear muffled voices but an invisible blanket steeled over her._

_Her pain was fading._

_Keeping her warm._

_Comforting her._

_Soothing her injuries._

_Starting her slow healing._

_Magic._

_Not her magic._

_Someone was helping her in her darkest hour._

She woke up panting hard. She hadn't slept for more than a couple of hours. It was half two in the morning and she felt like she hadn't slept at all. After another hour or so, she got up and wandered through her darkened flat, running her fingers absentmindedly across the walls and various pieces of furniture. She had tried reading but that hadn't helped, she had tried meditating too but she was way too distracted to focus on that. She'd been restless since she went to bed earlier that evening, tossing and turning and sleeping fitfully when she finally fell asleep, only to be awoken by that horrid nightmare. But the ending was different than usually. She knew that she had been helped during the torture that awful night but she'd never really given much thought as to who had been helping her. Neither Harry or Ron had been able to as they'd been in the dungeon and had no wands and only the Malfoys had been in the room.

Odd.

Her brow furrowed and she stopped wandering for a moment. She shook her head. Everything was odd these days. That fight at the Burrow yesterday had really set her wheels turning. Ron was so resentful that he didn't even want her to talk to him. She hadn't done anything to him. This was exactly why she had gone to Thailand, to avoid situations like that or to learn how to manage them better. Needless to say she wasn't particularly impressed with her own situation-handling skills from yesterday. Maybe she should owl him but judging by his reaction yesterday that wasn't a good option, at least not yet.

She decided a cuppa and a biscuit was the way to go. Or two biscuits. Maybe that would at least help soothe her troubled mind until she could get back to sleep. Preferably without another nightmare. She was plagued by them in waves. Some weeks she woke up screaming every night and some weeks she slept as soundly as possible. She had lots of dreamless sleep potion in her cabinet but she wanted to rid herself of the nightmares if she could. She just had no idea how to go about it.

* * *

That same night Draco sat in his library reading and nursing a large firewhiskey. He couldn't sleep tonight. At all. These nights were less frequent since the war but he knew that he could just as well utilize the sleeplessness instead of fighting it.

A continuous tapping on his window alerted him to an owl, a lovely white snow owl with black and brown markings, Pansy's owl in fact. He opened his window to let in the owl. Starlight, as Pansy had named him, _ridiculous name really,_ flew in gracefully and landed on the coffee table beside him. He padded the hooting owl and gave him a few treats. He then tore open the letter hoping for good news.

_I've got four tickets, the fight is tomorrow._

_Pans._

It looked like he and Granger were about to go see these fights for themselves.


	9. The disguises

Hermione was startled by the owl pecking on her window in early hours of the morning, it was about five and she was sitting by her kitchen table nursing her cold mug of tea. The owl she opened the window for was nothing less than regal, it was a magnificent Eagle Owl and it seemed to know it because it condescendingly stretched out its leg to her. She noticed the seal on the envelope, snickered and rolled her eyes. Of course it was Malfoy's owl. Either he was an early riser or he hadn't slept much either. She ripped open the envelope, it must have been something important for him to write to her at this time of day, or night depending on your view.

_Granger._

_Pansy got the tickets. The fight is today, we need to plan._

_At yours or mine?_

_Malfoy._

The fight was on a Sunday? Huh, maybe the people attending and organizing these fights didn't hold regular jobs. Well, that was probably just the case. She couldn't exactly see the responsible Arthur Weasley's of the wizarding world betting on baby-dragon fights to the death.

The regal owl was staring at her reproachfully as she handed it a common owl treat, she rolled her eyes again, of course the owl wasn't fed common owl food. How ridiculously predictable. She chose to let the owl starve if it didn't want her offered food and pulled out a sheet of parchment to answer Malfoy, they needed to be properly prepared.

_Malfoy._

_Mine, come as soon as possible, we need to do lots of preparations. I'll adjust the wards._

_We need disguises and a cover story._

_Get the time of the fight from Pansy._

_Granger._

After she'd sent the owl, she got up to alter her wards, it felt weird opening them up for a Malfoy but he wasn't all that bad. At least she thought that she'd caught glimpses of a not so bad Malfoy. But she did like it when he seemed bad now and then, those darkening molten eyes and that wicked smirk of his wreaked havoc with her insides. All of her recent interactions with him had been disconcerting to say the least. He was unsettling her in unfamiliar ways and she didn't know how to deal with him.

What she did know was that she often had damp knickers at the end of a workday spent in his proximity. She was wondering if she actually ought to do something about it but he was so arrogant and obnoxious that she just couldn't imagine it. Well… Maybe that was a lie, she'd imagined it quite vividly in her shower the day before. The arrogance she could deal with, it was something of a turn on actually. The sheer alpha-maleness that he displayed sometimes. The way he assumed at all times that he was correct, which he usually was, and his refined manners displayed the supreme arrogance in his certainty of appearance. He was a very fine male specimen. Maybe she _should_ act on it? Just once?

She shook her head, banishing such treacherous thoughts. That was not to be examined now, they had a case to solve and a fight to attend.

* * *

Draco arrived by floo in the flat as soon as he'd received her owl, flooing directly into Granger's sitting room. A coffee table and a comfy plush sofa with two matching loungers made up the main furniture in the room, bookcases were covering the walls from floor to ceiling except for a space for a muggle viewing-thing, he'd heard about those, and a single vase with a large bunch of white flowers was on the coffee table but it was a lot tidier than he would have expected. There were a couple of neat piles of parchment on the coffee table and a book with a well-worn bookmark but no chaos, no parchment or books on the floor. She was almost as well-ordered as he was.

"Malfoy?" He could hear her voice from deeper within her flat.

"Yes, where are you?" He felt like an idiot for talking to an empty room but she heard him well enough.

"Dining room."

He went to the hallway and passed an airy kitchen to find her in a large-ish dining room for a flat. The rest of the doors seemed to lead to a bathroom by the looks of it, two doors were closed, which probably lead to bedrooms and a door slightly ajar to what might be an office at the end of the hall. The interior was clean, not too cluttered and in different muted colour schemes, the dining room was a subdued blue with light wooden furniture and more white flowers in vases. The flowers were all different, tulips, roses, orchids, daisies, petunias, calla lilies, pincushion flowers and a lot more that he didn't recognize, there might only be one flower of each kind in the room. Maybe she just had a thing for white flowers?

He'd been so preoccupied by his train of thought regarding the flowers that he'd forgotten to take in the woman in the room.

She was standing barefoot by the table, pouring over the parchments in front of her while clutching a cup of tea to her chest. She was deep in thought and frowned every now and then at something on the pages in front of her. He took in her appearance with his mouth slightly agape, never had she appealed to him more than in this moment. She wore no pants, only an old Gryffindor Quidditch jersey of Potter's that hung loosely on her small frame and came down to her mid-thigh. At least it wasn't the Weasel's. Her hair was tousled and hung loosely down her back. In the low light she looked almost radiant, he shivered involuntarily. He would never be able to rid this image of her from his brain and neither did he want to. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

She looked completely perfect to him. Almost. He would only change one thing. Slytherin green would be the correct colour for that jersey, preferably with his own name on the back of it and nothing else underneath.

When she spotted him, put her cup on the table and straightened up with a small smile on her lips, he nearly choked. She wasn't wearing a bra and maybe she was a bit cold because the pert peaks of her breasts were straining against the thin fabric of the jersey, just aching to be kissed and pinched. His formerly loose-fitting slacks were now uncomfortably tight. His cock twitched again and again, it was standing to attention, ready for action which it unfortunately was not going to get from this witch. His reaction was instinctual and not much thought went into it, most of the blood in his body had gathered in his hard length.

He tried to school his errant thoughts and was failing miserably, his mind having already conjured a fantasy with her sitting on the dining table in that Slytherin green jersey, legs spread and her sparkling brown eyes sporting a darkened come-hither look directed at him. He shook his head mentally a couple of times and in the end had to actually shake his head once to rid himself of that image, it was almost addicting.

"Malfoy, are you okay?" She tilted her head a bit and looked at him with concern.

He coughed to mask his body's excitement and covertly covered his prominent erection by sitting down by the table opposite to where she was standing. "I'm fine. Have you found anything new?"

She huffed annoyed. "No, absolutely nothing. It's just so frustrating!" She stamped her foot on the floor. The sight was adorable and he couldn't help smirking at her.

"Well, good thing Pansy came through for us, well hopefully get lots of info from the fight." He looked around as if looking for something. "Do you have any coffee? I don't work well without coffee. Especially at this hour."

She waved towards the hallway, still looking through the notes on the table. "Help yourself. The coffee's on the kitchen counter."

He got up and exited the room as quickly and discreetly as possible, hopefully she hadn't noticed him concealing his still raging hard-on. It wasn't even six in the morning, he was tired and worn from his sleepless night and now they had lots of work to do but still, his body had other ideas. _God-fucking-dammit._

After a couple of moments he found himself in the kitchen, looking at her appliances. This wasn't just the normal way of making coffee, it was the _muggle_ one. There was something dark in jar on the counter but it wasn't coffee grounds, it was some very small blocks of what smelled like coffee but it certainly didn't look like coffee. He decided to read the jar, he didn't want to have to ask Granger for help.

Okay, the label said instant coffee, interesting. There was a dosage instruction, he poured some water in a cup, heated it magically and poured one teaspoon of the coffee blocks into the hot water, he stirred and sipped tentatively. Ugh! Not nearly enough coffee! He poured in another teaspoon and sipped again. Much better. He couldn't abide by weak coffee, so just for good measure he added a half teaspoon more. Perfect.

When he returned to the dining room, Granger sat on one of the chairs muttering to herself.

"Granger." No response. "Granger!" That got her to look up.

"Oh, I forgot you were here, sorry." She didn't look abashed at all and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Do we need Pansy to get here? Or should we go to her? And for fucks sake, don't you have some clothes to wear?" He needed to focus and that enticing outfit of hers didn't exactly help him with that, it was very distracting.

She looked down at her attire with a horrified expression and rushed from the room without a word. He chuckled as she sped by him.

* * *

Her face was bright red by the time she reached the safety of her bedroom. There were not many people who could fluster her the way that Malfoy could. And that chuckle. It almost haunted her, she could feel her insides writhe at the low male sound.

She hadn't thought about her clothes at all, she was in Harry's old jersey and wore only her knickers underneath. Her now mildly damp knickers, Malfoy's mere presence always made her core heat up. She was rummaging through her closet where her head popped up suddenly, she realized that Malfoy had had plenty of time to look her over. _Oh no!_ She must have looked like an ungroomed tired vampire in her scarce attire. She blushed again and tried to pull herself together as she told herself that it was only the ferret. The very hot and arrogant ferret. _Ugh._

She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a jumper, discarding the jersey on the floor. She eyed herself in the mirror, maybe she should do something to make herself look a bit better, she looked like she hadn't slept much, which was exactly the case. She quickly glamoured the dark circles under her eyes and fixed her hair to be a bit smoother and a lot more groomed. Her discovery of beauty charms after she started working at the Ministry had done wonders for her personal appearance. Especially since she wasn't averse to work all night if necessary.

She put on a bright smile as she re-entered the room where she now found Malfoy pouring over the descriptions and findings from the muggles in St. Mungo's. They had recovered somewhat, or so the healers believed. They couldn't be certain because the healers didn't know the muggles' mental capacity before the attack on them, but they both remembered more and more although none of it was with regards to the dragon eggs.

He didn't even look up when she entered the room. "This is crazy, whoever obliviated the muggles have a thorough knowledge of charms, it would seem that they have tailored the memory charm to these specific men and covered it up with the confundus charm."

"I know." She sat down beside him. "If I didn't know any better, this almost feels like Professor Lockhart's work." He rolled his eyes at her and gave a dubious snort. "He was terrible, I know, but he was very good with memory charms."

"Okay. Consider this. Maybe it isn't someone we normally consider a 'good guy' or a 'bad guy'. Maybe it's just someone quite normal doing this for financial gain with no real concern for the animals involved?"

She was horrified. "But how could they not consider the consequences for the dragons?! It's barbaric and cruel and old-fashioned and-"

He broke in. She could have ranted on and on. "I know, it is cruel and barbaric, but not all witches and wizards worry much about animals, that's just the way some families live and see the world. Usually it depends on whether or not the family have any animals on their grounds."

She gave him a dubious look. "So, you're saying that you learned to treat animals well during your upbringing?" She doubted that very much, he was an awful entitled prat when they grew up.

He shrugged. "Yes of course. All animals, even the small ones, have beautiful magic in them. It should always be respected. Well, maybe except hippogriffs and Flobberworms." He gave her a smirk and a wink.

They started going over what they knew and discussing what they wanted out of them going to the fight. They agreed that they needed Pansy, so Malfoy dispatched an owl and two hours later a grumbling Pansy arrived in the floo of her flat.

"What the fuck you two? I was sleeping soundly in my warm bed snuggled into my handsome fiancée and you wake me up with this shite?" She waved a piece of parchment in front of their faces. It would seem that Pansy didn't do mornings well.

"Well, we do actually need your help Pansy." Hermione tried to reason with the tired and rather annoyed witch. "You're the one who was so amazing that you actually were able to procure the tickets for us." She was laying it on thick now, trying to appease her. "Please have a seat and talk to Malfoy a bit, I'll make us all some coffee and scones. Do you want cookies?"

It was working, Pansy sat down with a huff. "It better be chocolate chip, I don't do the fruity ones."

"I have biscuits too if you want?" Pansy nodded and she started to turn towards the kitchen when Malfoy made his always _charming_ sentiments known. _Arse._

"Bring a goddamn platter Granger, we need to get this show on the road."

"Shut the fuck up Draco, the woman is bringing me coffee, cookies and biscuits, I currently love her _way_ more than you."

He couldn't suppress the laugh escaping him and Pansy glowered at him. Hermione went into the kitchen with a smile, those two had some very interesting dynamics. When she returned with a tray full of all the things she knew Pansy would love, they were still squabbling.

"Settle down now kids." They both turned and glared venomously at her, she just gave them a sugary sweet smile. "Pansy, please give us some info regarding what we can expect from today. Did you talk to someone planning the fights or are they just attending them?"

"Shut it Granger. Coffee first." She then proceeded to complete her very elaborate coffee ritual with Malfoy glaring at her the entire time and huffing in annoyed frustration at her slow progress. Hermione just sat back and waited with her arms crossed, she knew Pansy only called her Granger in very specific cases and before her coffee in the morning was more often than not one of them.

Pansy looked at them each in turn with a glint in her eyes and gave them a knowing smirk accompanied by a lascivious wink. "None of you have slept tonight, have you? But have you spent the night together maybe?" Her smirk had widened to a full evil grin now.

Hermione started stuttering and spluttering as she vehemently denied Pansy's inquiry. Malfoy however, merely rolled his eyes at her. "Well, of course Granger here would just have _loved_ that." She shot him a venomous glare and was trapped for a moment in his mercurial gaze, it almost looked like lust. It seemed to burn her insides, liquefying them instantly. The embers in her core started to burn slowly. Her breath caught inaudibly and for a brief moment she completely forgot that Pansy was in the room too. "But,-" He turned to Pansy again, his face closing up instantly again into that enigmatic mask of his. "-what did Flint and his cronies say? What's the catch to us getting the tickets."

"Okay, the vibe between you we'll investigate later. When I am properly awake." Pansy yawned but her eyes showed nothing but mischief. "Anyway, you have to go in disguise, both of you. A glamour isn't enough, you have to transfigure each other to ensure the transformation, they have something to see through glamours." She looked to Malfoy. "Flint knows where you work and you won't be welcome." Malfoy nodded curtly. "I told them that I would bring my cousin and her current beau, so you'll have to flatten your hair and make it temporarily black Hermione. Also, you need blue eyes. Those two things are signifiers in my family and lots of people know that." Hermione nodded gravely, taking notes while Pansy kept talking. "I asked a bit about the dress code and it seems that leather and dragon hide is popular choices, as well as corsets and minis for the so-called 'ladies'." She rolled her eyes in annoyance to that description. "Now, I won't be doing that, so I think you should Hermione. I look absolutely atrocious in a corset."

Hermione started to argue, she wasn't a corset-fan but Malfoy cut in. "Fine. All done. What else?"

She turned back to Malfoy. "You don't really know my Blaise, you've just met."

"Whatever, I can do that, just remind Blaise as well."

"Sure. And you must remember, in this crowd you can't be rich, so absolutely no flaunting your wealth." Now Malfoy started to argue but Pansy held up her hand to stop him. "Stop it, you know why. They know everyone with any kind of galleons, you are very well aware of that. You just have to be a normal bloke for once."

He almost hissed. "I don't do _normal_."

"Yes, well, that's just going to be your problem then." Pansy shrugged and blew him a kiss. "Hermione, please, when you transfigure Draco, please make him rather average, we don't want him to stand out."

"Why is that?" Hermione's curiosity had been peaked. Malfoy huffed behind her. She heard him mutter something derisive about average-ness.

"Because you and I need to stand out. Flint's mate Malcolm told me that they hang with one of the wizards running this, he's careful but he has a soft spot for witches, gorgeous witches, so bring you're a-game tonight. We have to be flirty and fun and up for a good time, got it?"

"Got it." She nodded but her insecurities were stealing over her. "I'm not sure I fit the bill by the way." She gave Pansy an imploring look, she wanted her to understand but she didn't want to have to explain it all in front of Malfoy.

Pansy's face softened and she gave her a smile. "Of course you do Hermione and if you feel unsure, just do what I do. Fake it till you make it!" She grinned and stood up, rushing through her next words. "Well, I have to get back to my man, we all have a portkey that leaves at five, come to my place at four to go through our stories, you have to complete your transfigurations by then. Remember, no glamours except for makeup! They can see through that."

With that, she got up and marched to the floo in the lounge, threw in the powder and vanished in a whoosh of emerald flames. Hermione and Malfoy were still staring at the spot she'd vacated in the dining room, somewhat dumbfounded.

Draco gathered his wits and turned to the witch before him. "Alright then, I guess we better need to come up with a plan. How good are you with human transfiguration Granger?"

* * *

"Stand still goddammit!"

"Ouch, stop poking me with your wand!"

"Well stop moving then!"

"I only move when you poke me with your wand."

"You're a royal pain in the ass Malfoy."

He raised a single eyebrow at her and a slow smirk appeared on his lips. "Well, at least you consider me royalty."

She crossed her arms across her chest and gave him an exasperated look. "You know what? You do your own transfigurations and see how well you do."

"Aw, come on Granger, don't be like that. I like how you're doing me." He gave her a lascivious smirk and she huffed at him.

"Shut up and stand still." He thought he'd detected a small smile on her face but she turned her head before he could be sure.

He took in his new temporary appearance in the mirror as he was standing in Grangers bedroom. He didn't recognize himself anymore. He hated to admit it but she'd done a great job. Not that he liked the result much. His eyes were brown, his skin had been darkened a couple of shades and she'd added at least fifteen pounds of bodyfat to him. His hair had been lengthened to reach the middle of his back and had been turned to a dark brown hue. His face had changed the most, where it was sharper and more angular before, it was now softened, his cheeks even looked pudgy and his teeth had been yellowed! A shudder ran through him. He hated those parts the most.

"Did you have to make my teeth that yellow? I'm not some sort of animal!"

"You need to blend in, right? This way they won't look at you twice. You'll look like you belong but you won't be memorable which is what we want, remember?"

He nodded curtly, he hated her reasoning. There was no other word for it, he was now ugly. _Ugh._

He took in the appearance of the witch before him. She looked off to him it didn't suit her, she shouldn't be changed. Her hair was now black and straightened as Pansy had specified and her skin tone had been lightened a couple of shades. Her eyes were a bright blue and her face had been changed subtly, she now had a lower forehead and sharper cheekbones. Her lips were the same though, those supple light pink lips. She was currently biting her bottom lip in concentration.

How he would love to bite that lip for her. Over and over again.


	10. The fight

Pansy was pacing by the time they entered her flat, Blaise was relaxing with a firewhiskey in a wingback chair, trying to convince his witch to calm down.

"What the…? Oh, there you are! You are late!"

"Pans, calm down, we're five minutes late. And you can blame yourself, what's the thing with the corset huh? It took ages to tie up!" Draco was exasperated with his best female friend already and they hadn't even spent five minutes together. It was going to be a very long evening.

"Don't you start Drake, they moved the portkey up, we're leaving in ten minutes!" Pansy was frantic, stressing about their story, their appearance and everything in between.

"Perfect, just enough time for a glass of Ogden's." Blaise had already poured a tumbler for him.

" _Men!_ " Pansy stomped her foot and Granger was trying to soothe the irate witch.

Blaise was peering at him, it was unnerving. "Mate, you look bloody bizarre, what's with the gut?"

"I have to be _average_ -" He sneered. "-and that apparently entails a gut like this one. It wasn't exactly done with my consent." He took a large gulp of his drink, he needed the liquid courage for tonight. He and Granger had been sparring in their conversations and innuendos all afternoon. They'd had to be in very close quarters to complete all of the transfigurations. Almost a bit too close for comfort.

During their day together at her flat, he had basically decided to throw caution to the wind. Sort of. He was attracted to Granger. Fine. Whatever. He would acknowledge it and take whatever came after that in stride. It wasn't like they would end up together or anything like that. He scoffed. _Of course not_.

* * *

Hermione debated back and forth with Pansy regarding their story and finally they'd settled on the details. Pansy and Hermione were cousins through their mothers, her name was Violet and her current beau was called Reed. Hermione had gotten a rough outline of her and Pansy's parentage just in case and they'd gone over their story. She would whisper everything necessary in Draco's ear. They'd agreed that she and Draco would be very clingy in order to offset Pansy and Blaise, who would act normal towards each other. They had to be noticeable enough but not stand out too much. They would observe first and then maybe change their act subtly if needed.

Pansy reiterated the finer points of the plan for the men at top speed and soon they were all gathered around an old broken lightbulb. She looked around and for a brief moment she wondered how she'd gotten herself landed in the midst of a snake pit before she felt the familiar tug behind her navel and they all swirled towards the fight.

* * *

They arrived in what she supposed was an antechamber of sorts. It was a circular room with wood panelling all around and six guards standing by the walls. There were no doors anywhere. The guards were all men and almost the same, tall, broad, same haircut and hair colour and wearing all black wizards robes. They all wore the same glasses with a curious mirror-shine to them. She assumed that the glasses the guards were wearing had some sort of enchantment upon them, enabling the guards to see through glamour charms. Human transfiguration was notoriously difficult and if done wrong, it could result in horrific accidents, they must assume that none of the patrons would be able to complete such complex magic. Hopefully that would be their mistake number two. Number one was allowing the muggles to get caught.

Only Pansy seemed to take their current situation in stride. She took in the guards and gave them a wave and a blinding smile, one of them even got a seductive wink. Draco closed the short distance between them and took her hand, she almost wanted to take it back but she didn't, it felt sort of… good. She remembered that they had a role to play, so she pulled him closer and leaned into him, her back to his front while he placed his hands on her hips, she almost gasped at the contact. Even if he didn't look like himself, she couldn't help thinking about how it would feel if he was in his own skin. A part of her desperately wanted to experience it.

After about a minute with no one moving much except Pansy, one of the guards stepped forward. "You may enter." His voice was magically distorted and if she saw him again, she wouldn't be able to recognize him. It was a clever disguise, the guards looked so uniform that they had safety in numbers.

He gestured towards his left where there was a break in the panelling, same as the other four sides, if one could call it that. Pansy took the lead and sauntered straight through the wooden wall, with the rest following.

Beyond the antechamber was a huge square room with a large pit in the middle surrounded by an elaborate cage of wires and metal, it was a physical and magical cage for the fights to take place in. There were three tunnels channelled into the main cage, presumably the entrances for the young dragons. Witches and wizards were everywhere and the room had a dank sort of smell, it could be an abandoned warehouse maybe. She took in her surroundings, there were no windows and no doors, she couldn't see a ceiling either, so it must have been magically concealed. The walls were lined with bare concrete and at different intervals there were betting booths, snack counters and bars set up. There were waitresses wandering the room floating trays in front of them with drinks and snacks, they were all the same too, same height, same hair, same black waitress uniform and all wearing those glasses. Again, lots of safety in numbers. She couldn't single out any of them.

All of the attendees milling around excitedly looked just the way Pansy had described. Too much makeup, too many glamours, too much dragonhide, too much leather, too much glitter and sequins, too many earrings and too many piercings. It was garish and over the top. There was a witch who looked like she wasn't even wearing clothes or shoes but on closer inspection, she wore a skin-tight flesh coloured tube latex dress that ended higher than mid-thigh and very tall see-through platform plastic heels, she seemed particularly popular among the wizards.

Witches and wizards kept arriving through the concrete wall behind them so they had to move. Pansy and Blaise led the way to a bar at the opposite side of the room where they ordered enough firewhiskey and butterbeers to go around. Malfoy had his arm around her waist and as they walked behind Pansy and Blaise, his thumb made small soothing circles on her exposed hip, it both helped and seemed to rile her up even further. They were acting, he didn't have to do that. She was confused by the subtle touch but she had to focus, they had an important job to do here, they had to gather all the information they could.

Pansy gave Blaise a quick kiss and sauntered off towards a group of wizards in one corner, she couldn't make out any of their faces at all but she was certain that it was the 'crowd around Flint' that Pansy had been talking about.

She steeled herself and looked around while trying to look as inconspicuous as possible doing it. Malfoy leaned down, his lips brushed her ear and she shivered, she was worried that he could feel it. He didn't even look like himself and he made her insides melt. She wanted to roll her eyes at herself.

"Relax Granger, everything will be fine. I would tell you that you look good, but quite frankly you look a bit too much like Pansy." He mock-shuddered and she grinned at him, feeling instantly better.

She turned towards him and put both of her hands at the back of his neck, he was still just as tall as before so it was a bit of a stretch but her tall platform pumps helped. She them brushed her lips across his earlobe briefly, ignored his small jolt and whispered to him in her most seductive voice. "Thank you _so_ much Malfoy."

He rolled his eyes but tightened his hold around her waist and said against her ear in a barely audible whisper. "Minx."

"Pansy. How are things?" They were interrupted by a horrible looking man. He had sallow skin, almost grey, his eyes were hard and calculating but he was built like a bull, all hard muscle and lots of tattoos. He wore immaculate and expensive robes but they couldn't make up for his general appearance. He was sizing them all up and one look at Pansy gushing at him made them all comprehend that he was the wizard to impress for the evening.

Blaise straightened up and shook hands with the wizard. They were presented by Pansy and the wizard was called Jack Flame. It was probably a false name but now they knew what he went by, Hermione made a mental note to cross-check the name with Harry. Pansy beckoned her and Malfoy forward and she could feel her heart start to pound faster and faster, Malfoy rubbed those circles on her hip again and it helped again, _so strange_.

Jack gave her and Draco a quick once-over and smiled. Well, it seemed like it was his version of a smile but mostly it looked like a grimace. He had blackened rotting teeth and his face was almost contorted, it didn't look like a smile came natural to him. She was absolutely disgusted by the man in front of her.

* * *

They exchanged small pleasantries but he didn't pick up anything out of the ordinary. A couple of the wizard's friends joined them and suddenly Pansy was holding court to about six or seven wizards. They seemed to think her spunk and quick comebacks adorable and charming. Her tight black muggle jeans and her barely-there black spaghetti-strap camisole also had a considerable effect on the wizards around her. Blaise simple rolled his eyes, gave Draco a look that he'd gotten more than once before and ordered more drinks. Blaise knew his witch well and he trusted her implicitly. He knew she could hold her own if necessary.

Draco didn't trust the group of men in front of him at all, they leered and smirked with hard glints in their eyes. And they were eying the witch currently in his embrace. He understood why, even though he didn't like her hair or the changes to her face and complexion, he knew she was stunning. She wore a dark burgundy floor length corset dress with cap sleeves, an open and plunging neckline and a slit almost to her hipbone that showed off one toned leg. Her long dark hair gave off a distinctly goth-like appearance and they seemed very much into it. He wasn't exactly a fan of the look but he knew she would look amazing in the dress in her own skin, he could certainly do role-play if needed in future. At the mere thought his member started to harden and he quickly willed it into submission.

The difference of appearance between Granger and Pansy was startling but that was surely the plan, Pansy wanted attention from those wizards and Granger was up for it, she stayed in his embrace but was eying wizards in front of her and purring at them at random intervals when they spoke to her. She was taking a leaf out of Pansy's book with that one. It might be necessary but that certainly didn't mean that he liked it one bit.

A shout and a giggle from the other side of the room caught the attention of Granger, she froze instantly and he followed her gaze. There was no mistaking that red hair and that mop of dark blonde curls. The Weasel and his bint had made an appearance, how unfortunate. Maybe they should have anticipated that they might know some of the people at the fight, he cursed the fact that they were caught off guard like this.

The Wanker and his companion were as gaudy and tactless as they could possibly be, almost shouting their greetings to the people around them. Brown wore a black corset dress with bare shoulders and long sleeves and the Weasel sprouted dragonhide pants, matching boots and the most revealing long-sleeved net-shirt that he'd ever seen. That amount of pale freckled skin with red curly hair on the chest was not meant to be shown to world. He would never be able to un-see that. He groaned audibly, it would take a lot of firewhiskey to appease his burning retinas

Beside them, Blaise followed his line of sight just as he was taking a large gulp of Ogden's finest, his eyes widened and he started coughing but he was certain that Blaise was also concealing his laughing, the newcomers did look fucking ridiculous.

The Weasel was apparently feeling right at home over there with a couple of dumb cronies and their tacky hang-around girls, Brown was giggling loudly at something the Wanker had just said, they were sticking out like a sore thumb as maybe the tackiest pair present and they seemed completely oblivious about it and just lapped up all of the attention. He was absolutely certain that they'd been to these fights more than once before.

Granger hadn't moved a muscle, she was staring derisively at the couple across the room with narrowed eyes, looking murderous. He bent down and put his head on her shoulder to cover her from the wizards next to them. She was muttering curses and swearwords at them and occasionally saying "How dare he?" under her breath. Unintentionally she sent a small stinging hex at them both and they yelped and looked around for the perpetrator. He had to calm her down.

"Granger, calm the fuck down, will you? We know they come here now, we'll have Potter and his team arrest them later this week."

"But how dare he?! He knows this is barbaric abuse! He helped us with Norbert for Godric's sake! I mean, his brother is protecting these dragons at the risk of his life and he chooses to bet on their gruesome death!"

He had no idea who or what Norbert were and he knew she could have ranted on and on but she had to shut up, she was starting to attract too much attention. "Granger… Granger, be quiet. No one here knows that we know them. Officially we don't know them. Shite. Just breathe, please."

* * *

She was so startled by his use of the word please that she was almost shocked into silence. She huffed quietly at him though, he answered by tightening his arm around her and she was certain that she could feel his low chuckle in her very core.

She changed a glance at him and even through the transfigurations, she could see the trademark Malfoy smirk. "I am breathing, but thank you." She squeezed his hand on her stomach lightly. "But trust me on this, I'll make him pay, him and his brainless bimbo."

"You are so fucking hot when you're angry Granger." He whispered in her ear, almost inaudibly but she caught it and she could feel the movements of his lips on the shell of her ear. A shiver kissed its way down the length of her spine and she stilled at his words but he moved away towards Blaise, she found herself instantly missing his warmth and his arms around her. She gave herself two beats to collect her jumbled feelings and joined them, downing a shot. They were supposed to be out partying, so they should get started. She steeled herself and plastered on a wide seductive smile towards the wizards around her.

As the minutes turned to hours, Blaise bought round after round to all of those gathered by them and since he kept on buying, the crowd grew exponentially. Hermione had downed way too many shots now, she was grateful that her bag contained both a couple of sobering draughts and hangover potions. She took a sobering draught surreptitiously in a shot glass and turned around with her back to the bar. She was in the middle of a huddle of wizards, they were all clamouring for her attention and she gave it to them with a sweet smile.

She asked them all question after question about the place, the fights, the betting and the limited invitations, trying to appear as ditzy and cute as possible. In reality, she was filing all of the information away for future study, she would need the Pensieve to remember all of the relevant information she'd collected over the course of the evening so far. She and Pansy had made a big production out of having to choose between the different dragons as they placed their bets, asking all of the wizards around them for advice in the silliest and damsel-in-distress-way possible. They weren't disappointed, all of the wizards beelined for them to offer their advice, even Jack Flame and Marcus Flint, who had joined the crowd around that particular bar. He seemed way to comfortable in an environment such as this, she was absolutely certain that he was involved in any number of shady activities, it almost radiated from him. She was going to talk with Harry about him as well. To their massive relief he acknowledged Blaise and Pansy amicably enough and chatted easily with Draco while leering at her, not recognizing him or herself at all.

A loud gonging captured her attention along with everyone else's. Jack Flame stepped onto a small platform beside the caged pit in the centre of the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please place any last-minute bets now, the fights will start in fifteen minutes." His appearance and gravelly voice clashed horribly with the manners he displayed in front of the crowd.

Malfoy appeared behind her again, tucking his arm around her as though it was the most natural thing in the world. She didn't have anything against it. Maybe she was belittling it. Maybe she did sort of like it-ish.

He bent down to talk in her ear. "That Flame-guy is a right piece of work. I have no patience for his sort."

She turned and looked up at him, his eyes were burning into hers, trying to convey some sort of emotion just outside of her grasp. "Uhm, what sort is that?" Her voice sounded breathy, even to her own ears.

He sneered and rolled his eyes at her. "He is a disgrace to wizard-kind, same with all of his cronies. And they try to display mannerisms that took my mother years to teach me, these wizards are not from the richer wizarding families, I can tell you that much, they all behave better than that. Except Flint, he's fucking sickening. Weasley and Brown are not included of course, their ways are much much worse than those wannabe buffoons."

"Are you sure that you're not just a slow learner?" She smirked up at him, her heart was beating fast, unsure whether or not he would take it as a horrible insult or a joke, he gave her a grimace.

"Hilarious Granger, very witty." He dead-panned at her. She couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled up her throat and he gave her a very annoyed and rather pointed look.

Before they could continue their banter however, there were a loud gong reverberating around the room. The fights were starting.

* * *

He was trying hard to conceal his absolute disgust at the fights. They were brutal, messy, loud and bloody. The young dragons had been starved for days before a fight and were fighting over a slab of undefinable gory meat in the centre of the cage. The winner got the food. As Granger would put it, it was barbaric. He could tell that she felt exactly the same so he kept up rubbing the small circles on her hip, it seemed to help her keep her face fairly blank and somehow it seemed to calm him a bit as well.

The first fight between a Peruvian Vipertooth vs. an Antipodean Opaleye was ferocious, despite their relatively small size. After a rather short fight, the Vipertooth won when its venomous fangs that sunk deep into the throat of the Opaleye and it dropped unceremoniously to the ground of the pit while the Vipertooth claimed its meaty prize. The surviving dragon was scarred but alive. All four of them were absolutely horrified by not just the viciousness of the fights but also by the enthusiastic jeers and cheers of the crowd gathered around the cage. Loudest of all were the Weasel. He was jumping up and down, cheering on his chosen dragon as though his life depended on it. Depending on how many galleons he'd bet tonight, it may just come down to that. Or if Granger got her hands on him soon. How he would _love_ to see that confrontation.

They were standing at the edge of the crowd, trying to appear enthusiastic about the fighting dragons, while Blaise and Pansy stood beside him. The second fight of the evening was starting, a Norwegian Ridgeback vs. a Chinese Fireball, these dragons were a bit larger and a bit scarred here and there. To distract himself from the increasing gore in the pit, he and Blaise were currently swapping the information they'd gathered in hushed tones.

"That Flame-guy is a provider, he provides the venue and does the advertising and inviting so to speak but someone else is in charge of the dragons. He hinted that it was someone I may know from school." Blaise practically whispered to him while keeping his lips as still as possible. "He also joked something about magical creatures being a both a way to make money and a way to get the dragons in order to make money. I'm uncertain what he was referring to." He sneered with a look of absolute revulsion on his face, the Ridgeback had just removed a limb from the Fireball. "I had to invite him and his mates to the café, they'd heard about it. I can't believe that my business is being dragged into this. You and Granger better figure this out fast mate."

"Well, I would say that we're currently working on it." Blaise gave him a grimace and they turned to cheer half-heartedly as the dragons in the pit were sending flames at each other. "I was told that the person behind this is a woman, someone about our age. The guy I spoke with had met her at some point but he couldn't remember a thing about her. I think she might have cast some sort of repelling spells or concealment spells on herself or her cloak maybe."

"How are you sure that it's a witch then?"

"The guy told me she had on high-heeled boots and a dress. He only remembers the bottom of her legs and her feet, that's why I think it might be the cloak."

"Interesting, not many have the talent or the knowledge to enchant a cloak like that." Blaise's eyed narrowed. "Alright, a talented witch from our year or the years around ours. That should narrow it down slightly."

"Slightly is the operative word, it's not nearly enough information." He sighed exasperatedly.

At that point, Granger nudged him. "Don't talk so much, gather information and we'll talk later. I have a Pensieve at home to examine what we see here."

He rolled his eyes at her but turned towards the fight. "Fine." The Chinese Fireball was struggling, trying to gain the upper hand just when the Norwegian Ridgeback went in for the kill. The Fireball was currently being aggressively mutilated by the Ridgeback, it was appalling but he was cheering unenthusiastically anyway, they had a façade to keep up and it would seem that he'd just won one of his bets. He knew within himself that his moral compass had been screwed up more than once in his life but even he knew that this was absolutely atrocious, they needed to put an end to this nasty scheme.

Flame stepped up on the podium again. "And now, Ladies and Gentlemen! The finale! The fight you've been waiting for all evening! The undefeated Ukranian Ironbelly vs. the likewise undefeated Hungarian Horntail!"

Everyone cheered almost manically and banged on the cage as the dragons entered the pit. They hissed and spit fire at the roaring humans around them, but the magical barrier held and no one was hurt. Recognizing a lost cause, the dragons then turned toward each other. They were rather large and very scarred, the Horntail was missing an eye and was heavily scarred down its back and the Ironbelly had deep gashes down both sides of its ribs, obviously damage from earlier fights they had survived. The dragons were snarling and hissing at each other, circling around the pit, trying to gauge where to strike. It was like a mesmerizing dance before the Horntail struck first and the fight started in earnest.

When they clashed or one dragon hit the side of the pit, it felt like the very floor and walls of the building shook. Draco could see the muggle lighting fixtures overhead swinging slightly as the Ironbelly almost rammed the Horntail into the side of the cage. For the first time that evening, he was uncertain whether or not the cage could hold in the dragons. The fight dragged on and on and after about thirty minutes, five of the guard-wizards from the ante chamber stepped forward to strengthen the enchantments on the cage and the pit. The ground beneath the dragons was cracked and burnt. Suddenly, after about forty-five minutes, the fight changed and the Ironbelly was no longer an aggressor but fighting hard for its life. The Horntail pounced instantly and the blood from the Ironbelly's open throat and torso was spattered all around the cage as it collapsed on the ground.

Draco realized that he had been simultaneously enthralled and revolted by this fight, because the dragons were so much larger and more precise than the previous ones they'd seen. Only when the blood hit the cage, did he zoom back out and the noise in the room felt deafening.

Jack Flame was congratulated by everyone for such a successful evening and shouts about parties and drinks were all around. Pansy and Blaise had just been talking to Flame and returned with an invitation to go to a bar with him, Flint, their cronies and some of the other guests. Draco was not happy about it, it had been a very long day but they needed more information so there was nothing else for it, they had to go.

* * *

They were side-along apparated by Jack Flame himself, he had very clearly taken a fancy to both her and Pansy, but he was smooth enough or devious enough to be courteous towards Blaise and Draco as well. They arrived, surprisingly, outside the wizarding bar Vici in the middle of Diagon Alley. Pansy was the only one who showed any enthusiasm, Blaise frowned at Draco and he shrugged discreetly to signal his own confusion. She hadn't been here before but she'd heard of the place, Susan Bones owned it together with a few others.

They were a lot of people from the fight, she hoped there was enough space for them in the bar. When they entered she gasped. The décor was magnificent and Jack turned around to smirk at her reaction, she fought to keep her expression even when looking at him. She also had to refrain from approaching the bar, because Susan was there serving the new guests and she knew that she wouldn't be able to remain indifferent to her friend.

They chatted with the people around them easily, trying to weed out any definite information to continue their investigation. "So,-" Jack approached her with a drink and a calculating smile on his face. "-are you and this Reed fellow together or…?" He trailed off suggestively with a waggle of his brows.

She hid her horror at his insinuation behind a sweet smile. "Uhm, I mean, yes." His face fell slightly. "For now." She amended, keeping Pansy's words in mind and his answering grin was deeply unsettling. Somehow, she had been separated from her friends and she was alone with him at the end of the bar, to say that it was a less than ideal circumstance was an understatement, he had a disturbing predatorial glint in his eyes when they roamed her body, lingering in certain areas.

Luckily, before he could answer, Pansy sauntered up to them, drink in her hand and calculating narrowed eyes. "Jack! Excuse me Violet, honey." She winked at her and turned towards the wizard. "Please help me, I have these three receipts and it seems that I won all of my bets! It was definitely your advice that did it." She smirked and winked at him and he was drinking it all up. "Now, how do I get my galleons out? And what happens if someone loses all their bets? Or they can't pay?"

Pansy was talking circles around the man and she knew it. She was monopolizing Jack's attention for her to slip away. She could hear the man's reply as she walked towards the bathroom. "Well, congrats Pansy, lucky guess with that Vipertooth, not many called that one. You just copy your slip, give the copy to me and I'll deposit the money in your vault at Gringott's. Those who loose and cannot pay will get a visit from me and my mates." He sounded rather proud of himself, she reasoned that he probably was.

As she entered the hallway towards the bathrooms she stopped short, three people in cloaks were having a muffled heated discussion just around the corner, she took a step back to listen.

"Oof! Will you get a move on?" The always _charming_ Malfoy had graced her with his ever annoying presence and walked straight into her. He might not look like himself but he still acted very much like himself towards her. Except for the embraces and the circles on her hips, she couldn't really explain them.

"Just hush and listen!" She whispered to him. They were hidden in a small nook from both the bar and the men having the increasingly angry conversation.

"What the fuck mate? Why is this even a problem? You've already got enough people working on this!" The first said, a very gruff male voice.

"It's getting out of hand! What do I do with the Horntail? It fucking won! We can't handle that thing anymore and we don't have any the same size to challenge it next week!" The second man seemed almost desperate.

"Set it free." A female voice said calmly.

"WHAT?!" Both men were obviously shocked at the suggestion. They started blustering at the same time. "Set it free?!" "Bloody dangerous that is!" "Have you gone ruddy mental?!" The last sentence ended the blustering from the man. "I'm… I'm sorry, I didn't mean… Please don't…"

"Shut it!" The woman was forceful and angry now. "Set the beast free and let the Ministry deal with it. Don't call for me again once it's done!" The tell-tale crack of apparition sounded and two pairs of shuffling feet started moving. The men were grumbling disconcertedly and they were walking directly towards them.

Malfoy acted first, he spun her around, pulled her body flush against his, picked her up with his hands on her arse, backed her up against the wall and clashed his mouth to hers. It happened so fast that she hadn't even registered it before she was sucked into another world completely.

He may not look or feel like himself but she couldn't help it, to her it felt very much like Malfoy. She wrapped her legs around his hips tightly as he kneaded her arse, she moaned when he nibbled on her bottom lip, she gasped when he bit it playfully, she felt a flash of heat pulse through her when he groaned as she opened her mouth to his probing tongue and when he flexed his hips once she almost saw stars behind her lids. He was hard and large and he was continually grinding into her while she was lost to the feelings emanating from the very core of her body.

The two wizards walked by muttering that they should get a room, they were seemingly satisfied that they had been otherwise occupied and hadn't been eavesdropping on their discussion.

Only in the back of her mind did she register that the two wizards were gone because Malfoy didn't relent at all. If anything, he upped the ante. When he was satisfied that her legs had a secure grip on his hips, his hands started roaming her body hungrily. Even through her laced-up corset could she feel his thumbs brushing her erect nipples, they were straining to get some attention or friction and she threw her head back in pure pleasure. He started administering her throat and neck with open mouthed kisses and small bites. When she whimpered, he hummed in approval and she could feel tremors run through her entire body in sync with his humming. Her hands were caressing his upper body, which felt nothing like his real body, so she moved to his hair and scraped her nails against his scalp, he shuddered and growled, pushing himself harder into her.

She was dripping now, aching for him and completely lost to the sensations when someone coughed loudly right beside them and they both froze. His hands were still on her supple mounds and his head was buried in her neck. She could also hear someone else snickering. That was rather annoying. She opened her eyes slowly, looking over Malfoy's shoulder to see Pansy and Blaise looking at them with mirth in their eyes. Pansy had a single eyebrow raised at them both. Blaise was the one snickering, he was trying to hide it as coughing but it didn't work at all.

Malfoy let her down slowly while keeping his back to Blaise and Pansy. When she was on the ground, he almost hid her completely from sight of their friends. She was absolutely certain that she was beetroot red in the face and when she peaked up at him, he seemed to be focusing rather hard on a coatrack to the right of them but his cheekbones were subtly stained with a light pink blush.

"Well, we just wanted to know if you two are ready to go? You're supposed to be staying at mine, so…?" She trailed off with a very Slytherin-esque smirk.

Blaise took the reins to spare them any further embarrassment. "Let's just get the fuck out of here, we'll talk later." He gave them a very sharp look and turned around, she and Malfoy followed Pansy and Blaise out of the bar and they dissaparated.


	11. The pensieve

As soon as she apparated to the small patch of trees by her flat, she warded the area and started yelling and cursing at everything close to her. To hell with balance! To hell with tolerance! Ron had it coming and so did that awful attention-seeking trollop of his! Having seen the way their eyes had sparkled at the gory fights, she wanted nothing more than to curse them both into oblivion. How on earth were they able to get exhilarated over these fights?! They were absolutely cruel! The fights had reminded her of the expanded history lessons she'd had with her mum and dad when she was younger, in this particular instance the story of ancient Rome stood out by a mile. The fights between the exotic animals in the Colosseum and the amphitheatres across the Roman empire, the more vicious and gory, the better. Honestly! It was like history had taught these stupid people nothing at all!

And bloody Malfoy! There was no excuse for it, they had been completely lost in the moment. A moment where they actually ought to have paid better attention to who the people having that shady conversation were, but no. They had both been very much otherwise occupied. She wanted to scream with frustration! He had basically startled her and she had been instantly consumed by that peculiar fire between them, only he usually projected nothing more than an icy cold sneering façade. But did he though? He hadn't been all that cold towards her since they'd started working together, he might still have a part of his mask in place but every now and then he seemed to let his guard down a bit, at least towards her. But he hadn't come to her aid at all with Pansy and Blaise! Only after Harry had been made thoroughly suspicious about their indiscreet insinuations! Of course, it didn't matter to her at all that their insinuations were dead on, bloody sneaky snakes! She stamped in frustration and confusion, wanting to fire hexes and curses at all the trees around her! Only the little thing called the International Statute of Secrecy stopped her. Stupid law really! Ugh! She huffed loudly and stomped towards her building in a towering rage.

* * *

Three hours earlier Blaise had apparated them directly into Pansy and Blaise's flat and as soon as they arrived, they all started talking madly about what they'd seen, heard, been asked, been propositioned and about twenty minutes was spent constructively, in Hermione's mind, harshly berating Ron and Lavender.

As soon as she and Malfoy had ended the transfigurations they'd made to the other, Hermione had started conjuring vials for them to put their fresh memories into, to be examined by her and Malfoy the next day at the Ministry. There were a lot and Hermione had a notepad in her hand almost immediately to jot down anything and everything they could remember off the top of their heads.

She floo-called Harry and he joined them for further discussions. He frowned deeply when he heard about Ron and Lavender being there and. She and Harry shared a look, she knew that this made the case seem almost insurmountable for him since it now involved Ron too, especially because he was on the 'wrong' side of it.

Blaise informed them of the fact that there was a mole at the Ministry, that wouldn't help matters either, they needed to be very careful about their handling of the documents and especially the memories, they needed to be safeguarded properly. Pansy had spoken to a muggle at the fights, who had informed her of many of the caretaking duties and the schedule of the dragons. Both when they usually got new eggs and how they were handling it. Both Hermione and Harry had been very impressed with the duos work and had complimented them accordingly. Malfoy hadn't said a thing.

She also pointedly ignored all of the thinly veiled innuendos, winks and smirks she got from Blaise, he seemed to be having an absolute ball embarrassing her as much as he possibly could get away with. Harry did ask once what the hell Blaise was on about but she managed to deflect the question quickly. She could only hope that Harry, the auror, hadn't noticed anything, though she knew that was rather farfetched.

Malfoy however, was like a stone. Still and silent, only observing the animated discussions and spit-balling around him. He seemed pensive and aloof from their conversation and she could see him frowning every now and then. He was picking at some invisible lint on his trousers, which had now been returned to their original impeccable state when she ended the transfiguration on them.

She tried to ignore him as much as she possibly could but now that he looked like himself again, she couldn't help but reimagine their snogging session with his actual body, face, hair and everything. That is, until Pansy ruined her otherwise enjoyable secret reverie.

She eyed them interestedly. "Draco, would you care to fill Potter here in on the very last development in Vici? Or maybe you would, Hermione?" She winked at them both and Harry stared between them with a suspicious look on his face as though he was at a tennis match.

"What's going on? What am I missing?" His brows were furrowed and he narrowed his eyes at Malfoy.

Blaise interjected himself into the conversation. "It's more like what you're missing out on!" He guffawed and Pansy rolled her eyes at him but a smirk was appearing on her lips.

She could feel the blush staring to creep up her cheeks and looked to Malfoy for a bit of help. Nothing. Nothing at all. He was still examining the non-existing lint with a completely blank look on his face. Only his intent gaze and an infinitesimal narrowing of his eyes as he focused on the lint was any indicator that he'd very clearly heard the conversation between them.

"Nothing Harry, just ignore them." She tried to seem unaffected and smiled at her friend.

Pansy wasn't going to let her off that easy, she _so_ should have seen it coming. "Ooh, I love the vibe here, so much tension and animosity! Maybe that was the trigger! Let's test it, shall we?"

"Pans, just shut the fuck up and let's get back to the business at hand." It was the first time Malfoy had spoken at all since they'd arrived at the flat and from the look of him now he wasn't going to say anything else.

"Whatever you say dearest." She blew him a smirking kiss and he sneered at her.

"Okaay…" Harry looked confused between them but seemingly decided to let it go for now. "So, what you are saying is that basically a young fight-trained and scarred Hungarian Horntail will be set loose somewhere in London? How the hell are we going to stop it? And how are we going to cover it up if it starts attacking muggles?!" He had turned frantic, this was a nightmare. They needed to alert everyone at the Ministry and everyone needed to be ready to subdue the dragon in case they stumbled upon it. Though the flaw in the plan was that he was certain that no one would be able to subdue the dragon alone, no matter how young the dragon may be. His experiences with Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback and the fully grown and nesting Hungarian Horntail at school was proof of that.

When he said as much however, Hermione stopped him. "No Harry, you can't! Remember the mole at the Ministry? We need to keep this a secret, they cannot know that we've heard that."

"But we have to prepare Hermione! Muggles might die! Hell, depending on where this thing is set loose, wizards and witches might die! This is bloody terrifying!" He implored her.

She knew he had a point, they had to stop any bloodshed if they could. "Okay, prepare your aurors, they are loyal and won't talk. No one can know that this came from us. Tell them that the Ministry has received an anonymous tip or something. Teach them the proper spells and do it fast, we don't know when it will happen. And use Charlie, he's in town to help us with this case."

He merely nodded and turned to go. He had a lot of work to do. It was implicit that they would meet up the next day at work. They both knew it, so there was no reason to say it.

When they heard the floo confirming that he was gone, Blaise turned to her and Malfoy. "Alright, we have lots of information in those vials, it's gotten late and you both have some serious thinking to do." At this point he actually smirked and winked! She scowled at him. "About this dragon-thing, I mean, _of course_. I wouldn't imply anything else. _At all_." He was drawing out the last two words and was properly chuckling now, Pansy was grinning beside him.

"If you are done having a laugh at our expense, I will be going now." She tried to channel the haughty façade that they used every now and then, somehow it had the complete opposite effect than intended and Blaise and Pansy were now howling in laughter at her reaction.

She narrowed her eyes at them, levitated all of their memory vials and tramped towards the floo. Sometimes she really loathed those slippery snakes.

As she left she could hear Malfoy saying to them in a venomous low voice. "I hate you both so very much." This only made them laugh even harder.

* * *

After a restless night's sleep, she arrived early in her office ready to hex anyone and everyone who annoyed her even the slightest. How she loathed Ron and Lavender. Pansy and Blaise were close contenders but mostly in a more annoying and less cruel way. She had been plotting an evil revenge towards her ex and his girlfriend all night long, at least those moments that she wasn't reliving her mind-numbing snog with Malfoy. Which had been most of the time really. But that didn't matter, they deserved any revenge that she could come up with.

Ron's outrageous behaviour at the fight yesterday had been completely shocking to her. She honestly hadn't believed him capable of such atrociousness. But maybe she had still been hoping that the decent part of him from school was still there. How wrong she had been. And today she and Malfoy had to let Charlie know that his youngest brother had been cheering with all of his might at the fights, the brother that Charlie had told his family that he would talk to after that awful fight at the Burrow, she knew it would be a horrible shock to him.

And of course, in walked Malfoy with a smirk and glinting eyes. She merely crossed her arms and frowned at him.

"Good morning Granger." He raised an eyebrow at the dark circles under her eyes. "You look like shite, didn't you sleep at all? I thought all of that yoga-meditation-nonsense would help with stuff like that." He sat nonchalantly down in the chair opposite her.

"Shut the fuck up Malfoy." She glared at him.

"Ooh, feisty today, aren't we?" He mocked her with his smirk still in place. She wanted to simultaneously smack him with the heavy Pensieve on her desk and straddle him and snog that smirk off his face while grinding her aching core into his.

"Whatever." She brushed him off. "I've spoken with the Department of Mysteries and I've had a second Pensieve delivered to your office, I think we need to divide and conquer, there's a lot of memories to go through. You take this batch and I'll take the other. Your memories are mine and Pansy's and I'll take yours and Blaise's. That way we'll hopefully pick up all the details the other missed."

He shrugged and stood up, levitating the box of vials. "Fine, see you later Granger." He winked and gave her a suggestive leer before leaving her office.

She stared at her closed office door for a couple of heartbeats before she shook her head in disbelief of his audacity and got back to work. She needed to get on with those memory vials. She made a list of those things she needed to be on the lookout for, specifically any tell-tale signs of those behind the dragon fights.

* * *

After notifying her assistant and locking and warding her office, she dove into the Pensieve filled with memories. She'd started with Blaise's and they had been placed in chronological order inside the Pensive, it was a handy spell that Kingsley had taught her, you just had to use the memories from only one person and it was a cinch. She basically hopped from one memory to the other with her notepad and muggle pen in hand. Sometimes she reminded herself of Umbridge as she stood in the memories observing and scribbling.

Every now and then she was sure that she caught something that she had just missed. Because Blaise had kept on buying them all drinks, he had been a very popular wizard indeed and most of the wizards and witches had kept close to him, she focused most of her attention on Jack Flame and Marcus Flint. Those were the men she knew had a connection to these fights and luckily Blaise was a very observant man, the quality of the memories from him was excellent, filled with details in general and she'd memorized many of the faces she saw.

As she had anticipated, Blaise had noticed Jack move towards a side door of the large room where a slight hooded figure was standing, seemingly impatient, because the person was tapping his or her feet. She moved towards them but she couldn't hear what they were saying or see any of them clearly, the fuzziness was giving her a slight headache.

But she did get one confirmation, the slight figure was a woman, presumably the same as the one that she and Malfoy had heard at Vici, because Blaise had seen the person's face at one point, well a part of the face that hadn't been covered by the shadow of the hood, the lips. And those lips were crimson, tainted by lipstick. Also, that explained Jack's evident use of his doubtful charms towards her. It didn't seem to work though, because when he turned to walk back towards the bar he seemed irritated. Only he and Blaise then proceeded to have a very interesting conversation.

"You look pissed mate. Shot?" Blaise raised an eyebrow at the burly man to his side.

He downed three right after each other. "Thanks." He cocked his head, looking at the dark-skinned man in front of him clearly for the first time that evening. "What was your name again?"

"Blaise Zabini. Nice to meet you. Again." He smirked, Blaise obviously loved putting the wizard on the spot.

"Yeah, well, I meet like thirty new people at every fight." He shrugged, not really caring. "You are with Pansy, right?"

"I am." Blaise's expression became somewhat guarded, it was an imperceptible change. The conversation was fascinating and it was also the only thing she could see clearly in the room, Blaise had been very focused on Jack.

"You're a lucky man." He saluted him with his fourth shot before he downed it.

"I know." His self-satisfactory smile was smug and happy.

"Pansy said you own that nice café in Diagon Alley, never been though."

"You should pop by sometime, lunch on the house." Blaise smiled and then seemed to decide to flip the conversation towards Jack. "So, what's your role in this amazing set-up?"

"Well, I can't say much." He downed another shot and Blaise merely waited. It paid off. "But basically, this is all me. I find the location, set up the cage, the bars, the betting, the security, the invites, the works." Blaise saluted him with another round of shots, but she could tell that he had a knowing glint in his eyes, he clearly knew that the man in front of him was bragging and bragging got people to say things they otherwise shouldn't have. A case in point for the Slytherin refinement but she would never tell any of them that, she would never hear the end of it.

Blaise then started to delicately weed out a lot of information from Jack, he was getting a bit drunk and careless. Blaise obviously had a knack for getting people to talk. His modus operandi was clear: ask questions, flatter and then listen attentively. It worked perfectly in its simplicity. Before long, Jack was telling him about almost everything. She even gotten another two names for Harry and his team to check up on.

Blaise then asked about the dragons, he had an outward appearance of friendly and jovial, the subtle flashes from his eyes was the only reaction to Jack's words.

"Well, _she's_ handling that end. Got some friend who works in Romania and a cousin at the Ministry. I think they use quick portkeys for the eggs or something and then _she_ and her daft muggle minions along with a couple of wizards deal with the eggs and the young dragons over here at the locations I deem fit. It's a fucking great scam, it pays big and no one will ever get through our security or figure out the illusions."

She was scribbling furiously on her notepad, this conversation was a veritable mine of information.

"Indeed?" Blaise seemed truly intrigued for the first time since they started talking. "I'm curious, how do you contain these dragons, you must all be very powerful wizards and witches." Blaise's flattery worked its charm immediately and Jack smirked at the compliment.

"Thanks mate, I believe so. But really, you don't need to be all that powerful, you just need a fuck-load of people with wands saying the same spell at once and pointing our wands at the same dragon, that'll do the trick. Also, the friend in Romania has given _her_ a few pointers with the spells and the cages and all."

Blaise was nodding with a smile. "Good stuff, it's seems very well organized. I didn't know what to expect coming here today but I've been pleasantly surprised."

"That's what I like to hear!" Jack gave him a rough pad on the back, he was getting rather drunk, she'd completely lost count of their shots.

Someone must have signalled Jack behind Blaise because he straightened up, gave his excuses and walked towards the podium to make the first announcement of the evening.

The rest of the memories were rather tame information-wise compared to that, she was still disgusted by Ron and Lavender but she noticed Blaise noticing a lot of Malfoy's antics. He was behaving rather oddly towards her memory-self and towards the wizards she was conversing with. It wasn't relevant for the case, so she filed it away to be examined after work.

When she resurfaced to her office, it was almost lunch and she was famished, being inside the memories was a bit draining. She emptied a large glass of water and unlocked and unwarded her office. Her assistant, Sofia, was typing furiously on her rather old-fashioned typewriter, she had flatly refused the muggle computer Hermione had bought her when she'd found out that it didn't use the parchment at all. She had muttered something about dark spells on that infernal thing and then promptly turned her back on it, as if it could sense her reaction to it.

After persuading Sofia to get lunch for herself and bringing a salad and a coffee back for her, Hermione turned back to her office and her notes. She needed to guard all of this rather precious information. Blaise had confirmed yesterday that there was a mole at the Ministry but he must have forgotten to tell them about the friend in Romania. This case grew even bigger every time they got ned information. She immediately sent off a confidential interdepartmental memo to Malfoy to remember to guard his own notes and the vials of memories especially well. Also, she needed inspiration as to where they would keep the memory vials. After only ten minutes she got a reply.

_Granger._

_Please, of course I am safeguarding the information I have. Give me some credit here._

_I've just seen your memories by the way, re-watching that intriguing scene at Vici was rather enjoyable. Did you know that some memories leave sort of a feeling in them too?_

_The vials of memories aren't safe at the Ministry, no matter where we place them. I'll transfer them all to the manor this evening when we're both done. Come by my office when you're done._

_Malfoy_

It was a rather cheeky reply she thought but his conclusion was probably correct, the vials would be very safe at Malfoy manor. She'd have to talk to Harry about that too. She sent her Patronus off to him and he was at her door within five minutes, he looked rather frantic.

"Mione, what the hell do I tell Charlie? He's teaching the aurors all sorts of handy spells but I can't keep this secret regarding Ron and I don't really want to, he has a right to know even though it's probably going to hurt him."

She pondered his outburst in five seconds before reaching a decision. "Go get him, you and I will tell him together."

"But what about Malfoy?"

"Charlie needs friends when we tell him this and I am not sure that Malfoy would be able to be very sensitive about this. Why don't you go get Charlie and I'll let Malfoy know we're doing this part without him."

He nodded and almost ran out of her office, reappearing in three minutes with a jovial Charlie. She'd only just managed to send a quick note to Malfoy.

"Hey Hermione, what's up? Harry said it was important that I came here urgently." He had an easy smile on his face, he was such an inherently good guy and she hated having to ruin his good mood.

"Well, Charlie, you see-" She didn't know where to begin so instead she just blurted it out. "-at the fight yesterday, Malfoy and I saw Ron and Lavender. They were having fun betting and cheering the dragons on."

He froze and looked down at his hands with furrowed brow. "What? I mean… Are you absolute sure?"

"Yes, unfortunately we are. We were four people there yesterday, we all had the same impression of their actions. It seemed like they'd been before too."

Charlie sighed and sat heavily down in the chair in front of her desk, he put his head in his hands and groaned. "That bloody knobhead. What the hell is he thinking?" He shook his head sadly. "I thought he was proud of the work I am doing. He told me so a few years back, you know. Rescuing dragons and rehabilitating them. And I mean, after Norberta and the Ironbelly you three came across during the war, I thought he wouldn't want anything to do with animal cruelty like that. Is he maybe confounded or something? Fuck!" He yelled in frustration.

It was clear that Charlie was looking desperately for a reason that his brother had acted the way he had during the fight. She knew it was fruitless but she didn't have the heart to tell him.

Their conversation was subdued and rather sad after that. Charlie had a few more questions and bristled when Hermione and Harry told him that he couldn't tell anyone, not even Ron himself. She knew that their reasons made sense but Charlie was becoming a bit irrational and wanted to confront his brother. It took them over an hour to calm him down and make him see and acknowledge their reasoning.

Only after Harry had persuaded Charlie that they could both use a pint or five, they left for a muggle pub that Harry knew. Hermione sighed, this case was starting to take its toll on her emotions. It was getting rather personal.

She gave herself a talking to, she needed to focus, it was nearing two in the afternoon and she needed to go through all of Malfoy's memories from the fight too.

After notifying Sofia and warding and locking her office again, she poured in the contents of the vials, performed the necessary spell and dove in with her notepad and pen in hand.

Malfoy's memories were very like Blaise's, filled with details and very easy to navigate. He'd received much useless information but his gaze had lingered on many of the details of the room, which hopefully would make it easier to find again. She scribbled and scribbled every little thing that may or may not seem relevant to the case.

Her heartrate increased though, when she came to that memory of her and Malfoy at Vici after the fight. Especially when she noticed that Malfoy was correct, there was a feel to this particular memory and his focus had not been on the huddled discussion in the corridor close to them but on her. She and Malfoy were the only truly clear things in this memory. Everything else had somewhat faded, even the voices filtered through a bit muffled though she caught every word.

The primary feeling was clear, lust. But it was intermingled with a lot of other feelings that she had a hard time specifying, it was basically a bundle of confusion. Until Malfoy had grabbed her and pushed her against the wall that was. Then it became rather clear, she could almost hear it like a faint chant in his husky voice. _Mine mine mine mine mine mine…_ She was shocked, confused and aroused which was abundantly obvious by the fact that she was having a very physical reaction to hearing this chant while seeing their passionate kiss, her core was swollen and wet, ready for him.

As she rose from the Pensieve she was having difficulty reigning in her lust for her blond colleague. It was like the floodgates had opened to something that she wasn't at all sure about in her mind, only her body had a very different opinion.

* * *

She stood outside his office with the memory vials for a while. It was late and she should be getting home but she wasn't sure that she actually wanted to face him. She knew she was blushing furiously, so she started scolded herself. Never had a man made her react like this, she was practically swooning for him. She straightened her back and steeled herself mentally as she knocked on the door.

He was lounging in his office, reading the Daily Prophet and drinking a glass of firewhiskey. He had clearly been waiting for her to finish.

"Granger, finally!"

She hadn't even thought about the time as she'd paced her office earlier to contemplate all she'd learned about the case. All of the other stuff regarding Malfoy had been neatly compartmentalized in its little box in her brain until further reflections later this evening. That is, until the man in question stood before her a bit dishevelled and she had to suck in her breath, no jacket, rather tight navy slacks, and a grey Oxford shirt that had the top three buttons unbuttoned and thereby giving her a glimpse of a few soft curls nestling there. He looked so good it should be illegal.

She exhaled slowly while taking in his entire form as he moved around his desk. His hair was ruffled, as if he'd run his fingers through it many times today. _I want to do that_ , a traitorous thought popped up in her head. She mentally stomped on it the moment it appeared, almost scared that Malfoy would notice the slip. Of course, he didn't but his molten quicksilver eyes seemed to sharpen in their perception of her.

She hastily exchanged greetings, explained the difficulty of the people _the dragon-lady_ had working for her in both Romania and the Ministry and practically fled his office with her heart pounding.

He knew, she was certain that he _knew_ how she felt. And Merlin, she might put on this façade of knowing how to deal with everything but she wasn't sure if she could handle _this_.


	12. Irritations

Draco had a blast of a day.

First he'd gone through Granger's memories. Honestly, there wasn't much new information in them except him seeing her visible reactions to his touch. It warmed something cold deep inside him slightly or maybe it was just starting to defrost. The best part was seeing their kiss again at Vici. The conversation of the people in the hallway was very detailed, Granger had sneaked a few peaks at the men and the woman standing there. The men were filthy and rough but he was most interested in the woman. Unfortunately, the memory only had a limited amount of information at that but as Granger peaked around the corner again, the woman looked up briefly at the men in front of her. Draco was sure he saw a bit of light or maybe grey curls tucked away and a scar on her cheek but it was shadowed by her hood and gone so fast that he wasn't certain. Unfortunately, he had no way of slowing the memory down but now they at least had _something_ to go on that just a woman from their year at school or around then.

All the while, he was taking notes with an ostentatious peacock Quick-Quotes quill his mother had gifted him with a few years ago, he'd never really had much use for it except in interrogations but as he was weaving through the memories it was very handy, it left him free to focus on what he was seeing and hearing in the memory.

As the woman dissaparated, he moved to stand close to himself and Granger again. He watched himself scoop her up and place her firmly between his odd-looking self and the wall behind her. That's when he started to feel it, the memory had a feeling of relief maybe, or perhaps it was liberation but there was a steady undercurrent of potent desire sweeping through it all that pleased his male ego immensely.

He smirked to himself as he watched the kiss, he did have a rather _engorged_ inclination to get Granger in that position again. He watched Pansy and Blaise approach them and the looks on their faces was priceless, he almost howled in laughter at their blatant shock and bulging eyes.

He sobered however, when he felt the feeling in the memory changing to embarrassment and mortification, he also noticed the contrite look in Granger's eyes, she hated that they'd been caught and there was something else, did she regret it?

He emerged back in his office pondering the last bits of information, by gods he wanted Granger in that position again, she'd felt delicious even despite her not looking or feeling like herself.

After a long pensive lunch, he tackled Pansy's memories. Diving into them had been a very humorous experience as she had been flirting with every male within her immediate vicinity. Hearing her saying the ancient lines she used at school was hilarious and he would definitely be using it against her at an opportune moment in the future. However, Pansy's memories hadn't yielded all that much new information at first. As he went through the memories, he suspected that one or two of the men around Pansy were muggles though. Pansy had of course noticed all of the clothes and shoes they'd worn to determine which ones was worthy of her time and a couple of them seemed very much like muggles, she'd dismissed them almost instantly.

Only, after some time had passed, one of muggles tried again and this time she found him more interesting. It may have had something to do with the fact that he had informed her that he had been guarding a few of the young dragons but especially the Peruvian Vipertooth. This made Pansy almost giddy with excitement and she promptly weaved her arm though his and walked with him while questioning him on his very _dangerous_ and _heroic_ job. Draco couldn't help but scoff, she was laying it on so thick that she could drown them both in that tripe.

Pansy was practically gushing at the man, who proudly puffed out his chest at her compliments. He then proceeded to explain to her how you, as a muggle, contain young dragons. The methods they were using were barbaric but Pansy had kept her face impassive to the cruelty he was describing and was gasping, smiling and clapping at all the right places of his daring tales. Draco snorted loudly, the man was a halfwit surely, he hadn't realized that he was basically relaying information about a highly illegal dragon egg smuggling ring and an even more illegal dragon fighting ring to a complete stranger because she was batting her eyelashes at him.

His Quick-Quotes quill was whizzing across the parchment beside him, taking in every detail he'd noticed. They had a general area of London to focus on, the man had said something about sewage and reaching the galleons, that sounded quite odd to him but now he just needed to compare notes with Granger and hopefully Potter had gotten some leads on random unexplained fires from the muggles.

After that he decided to read a bit so he poured himself a firewhiskey and waited. And waited. And bloody waited. It irritated him. That woman was a workaholic, it couldn't be healthy at all. He was certain of that. At almost eight o clock, she knocked on his door and she was as gorgeous if a bit more flustered than the morning. The blush on her cheeks betrayed her otherwise calm exterior and he narrowed his eyes at her, taking her in. She was a sight to behold, all business but somewhat rattled.

He wondered what had made her so rattled and flustered. Then it clicked. The memories, specifically his own memory. If he had felt the confused feelings in hers, he must have felt the very succinct feelings in his. He stood up slowly and walked around his desk as he watched her eyes widen slightly as he took in his entire form.

Then she started talking, a lot. She rattled on about the newly dubbed dragon-lady and her minions both here and abroad. He was sure they needed to involve the Romanian Ministry of Magic and the Department of International Magical Cooperation. This fiendish case was just growing and growing every fucking time they got more leads. He wondered briefly if they'd ever be able to truly close it.

However, a part of his mind was travelling down a very different train of thought. What would happen if he just took her against the wall right then and there? Would she object? Or hex him maybe? As he was flooded with desire and just about to pounce, she fled his office. One blink and the door closed behind her, leaving him alone.

He ground his teeth while digging the heels of his hands into his eyes before he composed himself and started exiting his office, it was always a process of a couple of minutes, considering how many wards and protections he put around his office. He knew the ministry would claim to be secure but they'd just received proof that there was indeed a mole at the ministry, so for good measure he added a couple of the nastier wards his mother had taught him.

After his office was protected to his approval, he hid the memory vials in his tailored cloak and headed for the floo in the atrium. When transporting something this important, he reflected again how satisfying it was that most of his fellow ministry workers thought him unpleasant, arrogant or both which meant that he usually wasn't approached when traversing the corridors. Well, except for most of his female co-workers. In consideration, his omnipresent trademark sneer might also have had something to do with it.

His mother was in the parlour of the manor as he flooed in, she was reading with a pair of small elegant platinum pince-nez perched on her nose. Behind her, he could see the moon through the massive arched windows starting to make its way across a cloudless darkening sky.

"Draco darling. To what do I owe the pleasure?" She smiled and he gave a peck on her cheek.

"I am just depositing some important memories regarding a case I am working on, they aren't safe enough at the ministry."

She nodded knowingly. "Well, I am sure you couldn't find a safer place than here, not even Gringotts really." She scoffed, remembering the times even their security measures had been breached despite the goblins' repeated assurances that it would never happen again.

She shooed him on his way claiming that it was getting late and he went to their sitting room to perform the complicated magic that would open one of their many hidden strongboxes at the manor. The wealth they had amassed at Gringotts that most of the public thought they knew about was only a part of the Malfoy fortune. A stretch of blank wall clicked once and opened, he placed the vials inside before sealing the compartment shut again and walking back towards the floo.

* * *

When he arrived at work the next morning, it was to find none other than Theo Nott sweet-talking most of the ladies in his department. He rolled his eyes, that man was a trollop if a man could be such a thing. He would shag anything and anyone as long as it was a human female, he definitely wasn't picky. His only stipulation was that they would agree to enter his dungeons. Draco winced, Theo had given him tour down there once, a few of his contraptions were replicas of muggle torture devices from the middle ages.

Theo had never shown up at the ministry, ever. He hated the place from top to bottom. He'd once said that too many paper-pushers made his skin crawl and the ministry was made of almost nothing but. Then the man himself turned towards him with a predatory smile on his face.

"Draco, just the man I wanted to see." The smile turned genuine in a heartbeat now that it wasn't needed to charm ladies.

"Theo, to what do I owe the dubious pleasure?" He was irritated at him coming to the ministry and he was sure that he could guess his reason.

"I told you I'd stop by." He grinned and looked around. "So, where's Granger at mate?"

He froze, hating that he was right and not really wanting to give him the answer but it was inevitable, he could only hope that Granger found him close to revolting. "In her office or coming into work soon. Is this the only reason you're here? Trying to defile Grange?"

"Give me a bit of credit, I've got about five dates from that huddle you just interrupted. It seems that being handsome and not wearing a permanent sneer get you easily laid." He gave Draco a pointed look. Draco merely shrugged at him and ignored his jibe, he didn't give a knut for any of the women in his office. "Well, come on then, lead the way to Granger!"

He almost growled but stopped himself just in time. It wasn't that he wasn't a good friend, he was in fact a very good friend of his but the mere thought of Theo with Granger made his blood boil. He wasn't even all that certain why, sure he thought her very attractive but he was positive that fucking her good once or twice would get it out of his system. And wasn't that exactly the same that Theo wanted?

He pondered his current situation in silence as they walked towards her office, Theo was oblivious as he was flirting with every skirt they came into the vicinity of.

* * *

Hermione had been agonizing all night about this _thing_ with Malfoy. Was it even something she wanted? Maybe she should just get it out of her system, shag him once and be done with it. She stopped short in the corridor towards her office however, because there was Malfoy and... Theodore Nott? What on earth was he doing at the ministry, she frowned, he had absolutely no reason at all to be here.

She'd heard a very detailed account of Daphne's dates with him and he didn't sound like a pleasant man at all. You could easily be gentlemanlike on the outside but an utter and complete arse underneath.

Malfoy was another thing completely. He was dressed impeccably and the way he was looking at Theo trying to flirt with her secretary showed nothing but cool disdain. He definitely wasn't usually outwardly gentlemanlike. But seeing him made her feel an array of feelings; flushed, overheated, annoyed, confused, intrigued and almost light-headed.

Annoying man.

She squashed all of those rather inconvenient feelings as she marched towards the three of them. Malfoy spotted her first and his eyes flashed at her for less than a second before becoming shuttered and impassive again. She couldn't stop the tremor that suddenly shot down her spine and ended between her legs. A few choice oaths ran through her head and intermingled with her burgeoning arousal.

She walked into her office and the two wizards followed her. "Mr. Nott. What can I do for you?" She used her most business-like voice, she hoped it would get him to stop the leering he was in the midst of.

Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect and his gaze lingered on different parts of her body before ending at her eyes. "Miss Granger,-" His voice was probably supposed to be velvety and smooth but all she could hear was the late Severus Snape's sneering voice. "-you look particularly stunning today. May I ask you to accompany me to dinner this evening?"

She almost snorted at him but she stopped herself just in the nick of time before answering as politely as she could. "I thank you, but no."

That's when he took a step forward towards her and he felt too close, too much in her personal space. There was only a couple of inches between them and she fought her instincts to hit him and move further away. "May I ask why? I have not offended you, have I?" His leer was still on his face, intermingled with something rather greedy in his eyes.

"No, you have not but my answer stands." She didn't want to give him an explanation and she most certainly didn't want to go on a date with Theo Nott. She moved behind her desk to put some distance between herself and Nott.

He smirked at her, knowing that she was avoiding his question. She cut him off however, before he could argue again. "Malfoy, where are your notes from yesterday? We need to go over everything." Malfoy gave her an almost relieved half smile that puzzled her before answering her easily enough with his mask in place yet again.

"I have them with me."

"Perfect." She smirked ever so slightly before she turned to the other Slytherin. "Mr. Nott, this case is highly classified so I have to ask you to vacate this office." Her business-tone was now tinged with a hard edge to it.

He opened his mouth to argue when Harry burst into her office, eyes wide and his robes hanging oddly on his panting form. "Hermione! Malfoy! Come quick! One of the…" He stopped abruptly when he spotted Theo Nott in the office.

"Mr. Nott,-" Hermione persisted and then she sighed as she took in his obstinate smirk. "-we have no time for this." She said exasperatedly and waved her wand a couple of times without uttering a single word. Theo Nott was forcibly removed from her office, the door was shut in his face and her office was warded and soundproofed.

She turned to Harry who was confused by her reaction. As his one brow lifted questioningly at her, she explained in a hurry. "The man was trying to ask me to dinner, I said no and he wouldn't leave. So there, he just left. But please focus Harry, what happened?"

Harry snapped to attention, as if remembering something vital. "Oh, right! You won't believe this! One of the fully grown nesting dragons from the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary suddenly appeared in a small muggle town on the coast of France! It attacked instantly and at least five muggles are dead!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry (not sorry) for the short chapter and the cliffy...!  
> Please do your thing after reading (i.e. commenting!)


	13. The attack

"What?!" Her and Malfoy's simultaneous bellow of shock and confusion was reverberating around the room.

"I know, I can't believe it myself. It's definitely a nesting mother because she's missing from Romania, she's a fully grown Ukrainian Ironbelly and bloody huge if the initial reports are correct."

"Fucking hell." Malfoy's tone was soft, he seemed astonished.

"Then what are we still doing here Harry?!" Hermione was already loading her small handbag with mounds of paperwork. "We have to go! Now!"

"To France?" Harry might have been a bit sluggish on the uptake due to his surprise at Hermione's fierce reaction.

"No, to bleeding Wales Harry!" She mocked him exasperatedly. "Of course to France!"

"We can't Hermione." Harry was looking sheepish. "We can't go yet, we need someone from International Magical Cooperation to accompany us or at least to clear it with the French Ministry of Magic first. It's not ideal but it is protocol." He seemed abashed as he shifted a bit. "Plus, we might have utilized the extent of their possible lenience the last time we had an international case."

"Who's lenience? The French or IMC?" She was already planning how to respond if they didn't clear it first.

Harry just continued to look guilty. "Both."

She could see Malfoy's frown, which no doubt matched her own aggravation. Hermione snorted annoyed and threw her hands up. "Ugh. Fine. Let's go see that clingy insolent arse of a wizard."

* * *

Draco was fully aware of which specific wizard she was referring to. He'd dealt with him more than once on their international cases and Granger's assessment of his questionable politeness was absolutely correct. He was without a doubt the most arrogant, entitled and egocentric man in the entire ministry and that said a lot coming from himself.

He sighed. He just knew in his bones that today was going to be such a _long_ day. And obviously the day would be spent in close proximity of not only Granger and Potter, but also the disgrace that was Cormac Mc-fucking-Laggen himself. Now he had to deal with that arrogant toe-rag who, very unfortunately, was the Deputy Head of IMC. He ground his teeth together. It was only because he'd gotten into a fair bit of trouble with IMC once after being caught in a castle with a very-much-off-limits-ambassador's daughter in Siberia that he held his tongue, he _really_ didn't want to deal with that disrespectful man.

Theo had pissed him off to no end. What the hell kind of nerve did that man have actually showing up at the ministry and trying to get into Granger's pants. Granted, he had actually warned him about doing exactly this the other day at Vici but only her staunch refusal had soothed his male ego. Why, he wasn't exactly sure and he decided not to dwell too much on that fact. When she'd at last basically thrown him from her office, it had been especially hard for him to conceal his elation at her response to Theo. He might have quirked his lips momentarily but otherwise he was certain that he'd been able to conceal his own reaction.

First bloody Theo and now this prick.

Could this day possibly get any worse?

* * *

For Cormac McLaggen, being an important figure at the ministry was of course just one of many coming peaks in his spectacular existence.

He regarded himself in the mirror placed on his desk where others had placed family photos. No, he only needed to ensure that his demeanour and facial expressions were pleasing during meetings in his office. And it was a rather convenient way to check that his hair was still immaculate, which it of course always was.

There was a brisk knock on his door and he checked himself briefly once more before waving his wand to open the door.

His day brightened considerably when he realized that the spit-fire that was Hermione Granger was at his door. He sneered briefly when Potter and Malfoy entered behind her, he would have much preferred the meeting to be private, before focusing again on the delightful bundle of fiery woman in front of him.

He noticed her scowling at him and dismissed it immediately, it was surely Potter or Malfoy who'd pissed her off before coming to see him.

"Hermione,-" He leered at her. "-what can I do for you this fine morning?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and he breezily gave his exorbitantly gracious behaviour the blame, he wasn't usually this courteous towards his fellow ministry workers but for _her_ , he would make an effort of course.

"As you might have heard, _McLaggen_ ,-" She emphasised his fine last name with obvious pride in her voice, he puffed out his chest even further. "-there has been a dragon attack in France, since I am certain it is connected to the case we are currently working on, we request an emergency clearance for the three of us to go to France immediately."

"Well Hermione, I am sure that can be arranged after you and I go to dinner this evening. I know just the place." He was completely ignoring the other two blokes in the room, they were mere nuisances.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest which brought her lovely breasts into much greater prominence, he smirked at her. She was a ripe little one, just perfect for plucking.

"McLaggen, this is an emergency! We don't have time to wait! If you don't clear us to go to France, we will get there without the clearance of IMC."

Ooh, so feisty. He moved closer to her to take her all in and gave her a lingering look and a smirk.

"It's no problem Hermione,-" He could see her release a sigh in relief. "- _if_ you agree to go to dinner with me." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Just once, and you'll realize it." He _knew_ within his every bone that she'd realize again just how sparkling and wonderful he was when they spent more time together.

Her explosion however, took him by surprise. "You know what McLaggen? Screw you!"

* * *

Hermione was pissed. She was stomping down the hall of IMC with Harry and Malfoy in her wake, no one dared interrupt them when she was in such a towering rage.

Their brief meeting with McLaggen had gone horribly wrong. All he'd wanted was a date. Just one date, he'd gone on about it and he didn't even want to discuss their case emergency, even considering that they needed as much evidence as possible from the French.

His nerve at addressing her by her first name! They weren't even close to any sort of acquaintance, they'd had one awful date to the Slug Club and she'd only chosen him to annoy Ron. Unfortunately however, he had interpreted that as her declaring her undying devotion to him, which meant that he assumed that she wanted to go out with him every single blasted time she had to deal with him.

He was horrid and when he'd come too close to her, he'd wreaked of cheap cologne, a sticky sort of much too sweet odour and her gag reflex worked furiously as it had threatened to spill her breakfast on his desk.

It was odd though. McLaggen had given her a Malfoy-level smirk but she didn't have the same reaction to it at all. When Malfoy gave her that smouldering look and that smirk, she was fighting hard to keep her emotions in check and to stop the blush from creeping up her cheeks.

She shook her head and her rage returned in full force.

She waved her wand once and her silvery otter emerged from her wand. "Find Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry, Malfoy and I are going to France immediately. If you have an issue with it, you can ask The Arse McLaggen why we didn't get clearance as procedure requires." The otter trailed down the hallway and disappeared around a corner.

Malfoy chuckled behind her and she could feel it deep within her but she pushed the feeling away forcefully and stomped towards the International Portkey Office.

If they didn't want to give her an international portkey to France, they didn't tell her or show it. She'd just barked at the first person she saw and before she could say swish and flick, a portkey leaving for the French village fifteen minutes later was in her hand.

She turned to the men who had been trailing her all over the ministry. Harry wore a questioning expression and Malfoy looked wickedly amused with a sinful smirk playing around those sculpted lips of his. She mentally pulled herself together, they didn't have time for this.

"Get whatever you need and meet me in my office in ten minutes. We might not return today." With that, she stalked away from them.

* * *

Draco was more than a little turned on by Granger's angry and bossy demeanour with her eyes on fire and her hair almost sparking with magic. He surreptitiously adjusted himself. It was spectacular, impressive even and never had he really been all that interested in a woman for this long.

It must be some kind of record for him.

He walked briskly to his office, Malfoy's _never_ hurry, and gathered a few choice items which he shrunk and placed in the pocket of his robes. Fortunately, this had happened before which meant that he kept a small contingency of personal items that would make a couple of nights stay abroad more comfortable.

As he walked calmly to Granger's office he wondered, not for the first time, whether he should act on these urges. She was affecting him a bit too much for his liking. But he was starting to realize slowly that one quick fuck might not be enough.

And what the hell was it about every fucking man in the vicinity of Granger that made every male around her want her? As far as he knew, she definitely wasn't Veela. No, the hair attested to that.

Potter was pacing outside her office as he approached. He seemed agitated and grumpy. His thoughts cleared and his mood lightened instantly.

"Potter. What's got your knickers in a twist?" A little Potter-baiting would cheer him.

He stopped his pacing and narrowed his eyes at him. "We might have to work with you Malfoy but you better behave."

"And why are you telling med that? I have done field work many times, you're not exactly popping my cherry." He smirked at the black-haired man in front of him, who had just started blustering at his inflection.

Just then, the door in front of them opened. "We have two minutes, get in here."

So _bossy_.

He could feel the heat slowly pooling at the bottom of his spine and in his length and adjusted himself yet again, thankfully none of them noticed.

Granger stuffed another seven large books into her small bag and stood to face them. "Are you ready?" They both nodded and gathered around her as she produced a small fake brooch.

A silvery lynx emerged though her door thirty seconds before the portkey would activate. It opened its mouth and spoke in Kingsley's deep voice. "I have fire-called the French minister and you will be met with a liason from their ministry on the scene. Please avoid further irregularities if at all possible Hermione."

Both he and Potter let out a bark of laughter and he just realized, surprisingly enough, that he and Potter had shared an amusing moment as they felt the tug behind their navels and were whisked on to the French seaside village.

* * *

They arrived in France to complete pandemonium!

A much too loud and much too close roar sounded and they could smell something burning. They each took a single breath before rushing towards the chaos.

As they rounded a corner, the full scale of the destruction became apparent. At least three houses around the previously lovely village square was on fire and a couple of them were missing their balconies and different adornments which had been knocked down by the raging dragon.

The dragon itself was massive and surrounded by ten to twelve wizards who were desperately trying to stupefy it but was resilient as hell and just kept on trying to attack them. At the same time the village was swarming with obliviators trying to reign in the terror of the local community. But nothing could be done properly before they had the dragon under control.

They could hear the desperate attempt to stupefy the dragon again and on the count of three they added their own stunners to the twelve and finally the huge Ironbelly sank to the ground and fell in a deep slumber, almost setting a couple of the French wizards on fire as it snorted in its sleep.

That's when the flurry started.

What seemed like the entirety of the French Ministry of Magic descended on the tiny village and they felt completely lost in all of the people around them. Muggles were obliviated left, right and centre as there were being made reparations to all of the buildings that the Ironbelly had destroyed, or tried to destroy. Some fifty wizards were working on getting the dragon moved and concealed until such a time as they could return it to Romania.

Harry and Malfoy looked like they didn't really know what to do but she did. She marched towards the tiny harbour filled with small leisure boats, small fishing boats and three barges. She could tell that one of the barges moored in the harbour was being guarded by a man standing on the dock, she strode directly to him and proceeded to argue with him in rapid-fire French whether or not they were allowed on the barge.

After a few minutes of intense arguing and some heavy eye-rolling from her, they were allowed onto the barge to have a look around and to collect evidence only when there were a sample for the French as well. With a final eye-roll towards the guard, she, Harry and Malfoy entered the barge.

What they saw shocked all of them. The barge grimy and dark but it was fully equipped with furnaces and lots and lots of firewood to transport the eggs to London. There were books on dragons to determine the breeds and the barge was probably hotter than a sauna.

Hermione walked around the barge muttering to herself. As she collected evidence into the conjured vials beside her, she wondered how they got the eggs to this tiny village.

Harry and Malfoy were talking by the stairs of the barge. She didn't pay them much attention but when Draco put forward a theory, she couldn't help but listen to his velvety voice.

"…It really is odd the way that all of this has been run. The dragon supposedly popped into existence out of thin air and broke a small crate below it in the process, it sure sounds a lot like a portkey to me. Maybe we could find the person that were supposed to receive an egg here?"

At his words her brain snapped into overdrive.

Of course! A portkey! That's how they got the eggs out of the cages quickly without the nesting mothers' noticing! But how were they getting the portkey to the eggs without the dragons noticing? They would notice a human, so maybe an animal of sorts? Or maybe a simple levitation charm? She made a mental note to check with Charlie what the enchantments of the cages in Romania were, maybe that would help them narrow the options further.

Harry and Malfoy were still debating the idea of the portkey but she knew in her bones that it was true. They were using illegal portkeys to get the eggs from the Romanian Sanctuary to the coast of France and then sailed it covertly in the barges to the small port in London that Dung had told them about. It made sense!

She was still reeling with her realization when a seductive throaty voice entered her consciousness. She looked up to see the petite back of an undoubtedly beautiful woman with long silvery-blonde hair. She narrowed her eyes, what now?

"'Arry, 'ow lovely to see you again." She gave him three air-kisses and she could see Harry looking very perplexed at the young French-woman. She kept her hand lingering on his lower arm.

"Hello Gabrielle, how are you?"

"I am perfectly well 'Arry, 'ow is Ginny? Are you two still 'appy?" She gave him a beaming smile and a coy look while surreptitiously caressing his arm.

Harry chuckled at her question, she had been flirting with him at every possible occasion since the Triwizard Tournament in fourth year. "Ginny is fine and yes, we are very happy. Thank you for asking." He gave her his most congenial reply without it sounding like he was in any way interested in her, while he removed his arm subtly. He'd once made the mistake of being a bit too nice towards her and she had tried to pounce him like a predator during the holidays they were spending at the Burrow. Ginny had to act like his personal bodyguard and he was rather scared of her determination.

She gave him a predatorial smile and turned to face Hermione. "'Ermione, 'ow are you?" Her face was much more business-like but she still bestowed the three kisses on her.

"I am fine Gabrielle, how nice to see you again. What brings you here?"

She didn't miss that Malfoy was following every move of the French witch intently, his eyes were almost caressing her lithe form as he took her in. It rankled her deeply but she wasn't sure why. It wasn't like he was hers anyway.

"I am your liason from ze French ministry. As long as you are in France, you are to be accompanied by me. I 'ave spoken to zis charming McLaggen from your ministry and 'e asked me to show you every curtesy." She looked around the barge with a wrinkled nose. "Are you done 'ere so we can go somewhere better?"

Malfoy chuckled at her blatant dismissal of the barge they were on and caught Gabrielle's attention for the first time. "And 'oo are you?"

He bowed to her as if to royalty, took her hand and kissed it with a smirk on his face. "I am Draco Malfoy mademoiselle. Enchanté."

"I am Gabrielle Delacour, enchanté mr. Malfoy." She simpered at him and Hermione bristled at their mutual flirtatious behaviour.

"If you want to leave the barge, please do so, I still have evidence to gather." Her voice was curt and annoyed as she faced Malfoy and Gabrielle. Malfoy gave her an indeterminable look and lead Gabrielle out of the barge and onto the dock where they continued to flirt.

Hermione huffed and turned towards the helm of the barge to see if she could lift fingerprints with Harry following in her wake.

"Hermione, is everything okay? You seem rather annoyed." He was watching her closely, something was up with his best friend and his auror-senses were tingling again. It was the same when Blaise and Pansy was goading her.

She heard Gabrielle's throaty giggling from the dock and forced the words out of her mouth through gritted teeth. "I'm fine Harry." She tried to appear nonchalant but Harry wasn't buying it.

"I don't believe you but we don't have time for that now." He started the enchantments to gather all the evidence possible by magical means and she started gathering the physical evidence in silence. After an hour or so, they re-joined Malfoy and Gabrielle on the dock.

Gabrielle clapped her hands when they appeared. "Excellent, I 'ave no interest in being 'ere in zis filthy village any longer, let us go to your accommodations in Calais."

She held out her hands to them before apparating them directly into the lobby of a luxurious wizarding hotel in Calais.

The lobby was beautifully furnished with wingback chairs, paintings and mahogany tables and a large high gloss mahogany counter was dominating the back wall. Gabrielle walked towards the counter and spoke to the concierge regarding their rooms. That was when Malfoy stepped forwards. From what she could discern, he wasn't having the average room the ministry had booked for him and he upgraded all three rooms to unnecessarily large over-the-top suites.

Both Hermione and Harry protested that is wasn't necessary but he insisted. Their fancy suites even provided them with access to the roof top pool area as well.

"Oh mr. Malfoy,-" Gabrielle gushed at him. "-what a clever idea, the suites 'ere are magnifique!" She was clapping and giving him a beaming smile along with a speculative and appreciative look.

She turned to her and Harry. "Will you agree to meet me for dinner 'ere?" None of them reacted but she wasn't deterred. "Let's say seven so you will 'ave time to work zis afternoon, yes?" She blew them all kisses, lingering on Malfoy and Harry and waltzed out of the lobby with her hips swaying seductively.

Hermione had lost all patience by then, she stalked to counter, grabbed her key and marched to elevators in a huff. That blasted girl! Now they had to spend more time with her, ugh! She might be Fleur's younger sister but there was a vast difference between them! Gabrielle was acting like a spoiled brat who'd found a new shiny toy in Malfoy and for some reason it just rubbed her the wrong way. And Malfoy was gladly receiving her attentions, ugh!

And where was that bloody slow elevator? She was tapping her foot with crossed arms impatiently when she felt someone behind her.

"Granger." He merely nodded and stood beside her, almost touching. "There's a conference room in my room, Potter is meeting me there in half an hour. Will you join us?" His silky voice filtered through her annoyance and softened her insides.

The lift arrived and they stepped inside.

She shrugged and tried to appear unaffected but she wasn't. Just having him standing right there next to her made her want to reach out and… what? She wasn't sure. But the minute she felt him in close proximity to her, her heart rate increased. "Sure, we have a lot to go through. What's your room number?"

"I am in the penthouse Granger, just push my button and you'll get in there." He gave her a lascivious wink and a smirk. She could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks. A moment later he spoke again. "Isn't this your floor?" She hadn't moved even though the lift doors had opened to her floor.

"Oh, yes, it is, I'll see you later." She was flustered and confused as she exited the lift, she could feel his eyes on her as she walked down the hallway until she heard the doors close.

* * *

When he was finally in his room Draco exhaled loudly and sank into a chair. That French woman was a real piece of work! It was very obvious to him that she had changed some of her focus from Potter to him in a heartbeat. She definitely had some Veela blood in her and she was using every single trick in the book. Luckily he had been subjected to his fair share of gold-diggers, even Veela ones, so he knew how to handle her.

The interesting part was how Granger reacted towards the young witch. She was jealous! But of what? Gabrielle flirting with him or with Potter? It was an interesting question.

As he settled himself into his massive suite, he pondered the question without ever getting to a satisfactory answer. A knock on his door brought him out of his reverie and soon he, Granger and Potter were gathered in his conference room discussing the new developments.

Granger explained her epiphany regarding the portkeys and Potter floo-called Charlie Weasley at the Burrow to test their theory that portkeys could work within the dragon cages as well as how to get a portkey to the eggs. It turned out that there were anti-portkey enchantments on the cages but only if the cage was completely shut. If the lock and latch was opened even a smidgen then the enchantment would only stop disapparition from inside the cage but not an activating portkey.

Midway through the floo-call between the three Gryffindors, his mind started wandering and so did his eyes. They roamed over the fit form of Granger and he appreciated every single inch of it. Granger and the Delacour girl were as different as they could be. Where Gabrielle was young and flirty, Granger was more mature and alluring without even trying.

They were like night and day and one key element was that Gabrielle was basically throwing herself at him and Granger most certainly was not. And why was that again? He frowned to himself. Maybe he ought to make a move? But that wasn't him, it wasn't the Slytherin-way at all. So what to do, what to do?

A doorbell brought him out of his musings and when he opened the door Gabrielle sent him her most coy smile. "'Ello mr. Malfoy, 'ow pleasant to see you again so soon."

He wasn't in much of a good mood after his musings but he greeted her politely enough and led her to the conference room where, for lack of a better word, Granger and Potter were spit-balling about the case. As soon as they spotted the Veela witch however, they both shut like clams. Gabrielle wasn't cleared for the particulars of this case.

"'Ello 'Arry, 'Ermione, are you ready for dinner?" At their blank looks she gave her throaty little giggle again. "You work too 'ard 'Arry,-" She went over to him and grabbed his arm. "-you need to eat. We are family though ze Weasleys, non? I 'ave to keep you 'ealthy."

Without Potter answering, she led him out of the conference room and towards the hallway. Draco couldn't help but smirk at the perplexed and somewhat disgusted look on Granger's face. Gabrielle might be young and petite but she could clearly be persuasive if she wanted to. He made a mental note to watch out for that.

He gestured for Granger to go first out of the room and followed her enticing shape towards the lift in the hallway. Gabrielle basically had her clutches tightly wound around Potter's arm and she was almost cooing at him. He gave them a pleading look when they approached and Draco couldn't help but smirk. He might know how to deal with the Gabrielle Delacour's of the world, but Potter most certainly didn't and it was funny as hell to watch him squirm.

Granger made a few valiant efforts to deter Gabrielle by talking about Potter's wife and the other Weasleys but it didn't have much effect on her and when they were seated at the hotel restaurant she placed herself between him and Potter, while keeping Granger on the opposite side of the table.

She then proceeded to flirt as much as humanly possible with both him and Potter. Potter's reactions were hilarious, he choked on his drink, blushed, coughed and was generally as uncomfortable as he could possibly be. He didn't look like the seasoned auror he was, when faced with a determined quarter Veela witch.

He received the witch's attention with relatively good humour but he was deeply conscious of the annoyance emanating from Granger next to him.

* * *

How was it fucking possible that her first night in France in years was to be ruined by the audacity of Fleur's younger sister?! Gabrielle was almost purring at both the wizards at the table and was blatantly ignoring her.

Harry was shooting her many _rescue me_ looks but she was not having it, Harry wasn't exactly integrating her into the rather one-sided conversation of Gabrielle detailing her latest vacation to Egypt. Malfoy was smirking throughout the meal and seemed to have the time of his life being on the receiving end of so much fawning attention.

However, he was also the only one actually trying to engage her in conversation at the table, so she softened a bit towards him. He was rather enticing and carefree from his usually rigid mask and she finally started to enjoy the dinner as they ate their dessert. That is, until he mentioned her yoga classes.

Unfortunately, that caught the attention of Gabrielle and for the first time, she spoke directly to her. "'Ermione! Fleur 'as told me of these cute classes of yours, would you teach me perhaps?"

"Uhm, sure. Are you coming to London soon?"

"Non! I cannot abide by zat 'orrible city! You will teach me 'ere at ze 'otel, yes?"

"I'm not sure there's anywhere we can do it."

At this, Malfoy seemed to have a suggestion. "How about you use the roof top terrace?" Ugh, she was not happy with that idea, now she couldn't get out of it. Ugh!

"Yes, we will do zat tomorrow morning at six zirty. I will meet you up zere 'Ermione."

With that unsettling agreement, she excused herself and went to her room. Just as the lift doors was closing, a large pale hand shot between the doors and they opened again. Malfoy was there. He stepped into the lift and placed himself right in front of her.

She had crane her neck to look up at him, he was so tall that he was basically looming over her. He bent towards her slowly.

Ever so slowly.

She thought he was going to kiss her again, a part of her hoped for it. Well, a rather big part of her if she was being honest with herself.

She was frozen in his molten gaze and she couldn't move even if she'd wanted to.

Her heart was pounding in her ears and she wasn't aware of anything other than Draco Malfoy.

He changed direction at the last possible minute and turned to whisper in her ear. "I am looking forward to seeing you bending over in those tight pants again tomorrow morning Granger. Sweet dreams." She could feel his breath on the shell of her ear and it sent shivers up and down her spine.

Only when the ding announced that the lift doors were closing did she realize that he had then scooted her out of the lift onto the hallway of her floor and when she looked back the doors were closed and she was alone.

She shook her head. That man made her capable of forgetting everything around her, she wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

* * *

In a small office in London three people were gathered. A woman wearing a hooded cloak was pacing in agitation. "How could it be so fucking stupid! Now we have not two, but three bloody ministries after us!" The woman was roaring at one of the two men in front of her.

"It was a mistake, I swear! It will be better trained next time ma'am! The Ironbelly turned just as the cloth from the portkey was removed!" He was desperate. This woman was dangerous and clever. He needed to get back into her good graces and soon. Otherwise he needed to activate his get-out-plan. He'd had it for a while now, maybe it could do with a bit of revision.

"It better be or you _will_ regret it." Her voice was no longer filled with rage but with cold detached contempt. "Any further mistakes will be on your head. Trust me."

He nodded furiously and trudged defeated from the room.

She turned to the other man. "Release the Horntail in muggle London tomorrow, it ought to be hungry too and give them as much wreckage as possible to clean up. They ought to work hard for their government salaries." He couldn't see her sneer but it was evident in her tone.

The man merely nodded and left.


	14. The feels

Draco was staring up at the ceiling in his room. He couldn't sleep. A- _fucking_ -gain.

He loathed it, he loathed the insomnia he sometimes had to deal with. At home he would just have a drink or two and then comfortably read in his library to pass the time. Seeing as he wasn't home and they had to deal with the French in the morning, he had genuinely tried to get some more sleep using all sorts of breathing techniques that he'd once heard about in passing from some of the witches in his office.

Nothing helped.

Especially not the repeated thought of having missed a prime opportunity to ravish Granger in the elevator after dinner.

He sighed heavily and got up, rubbing the heels of his hands in his eyes. He looked around his darkened room and considered ordering some food just to kill some time but he wasn't hungry. As his room was the penthouse on the top floor, he had direct access to the roof top pool. He could see the water glimmering beckoningly in the sparse light from the moon outside.

That decided it for him. He transfigured a pair of boxers to a pair of trunks and opened the glass door leading out to the terrace.

It was a clear night, Calais wasn't a large city, so the stars above him shone brightly. He easily found his namesake constellation in the sky, something he'd done reflexively every time the stars were out since he first learned how to recognize it, and jumped in the pool to swim laps.

It was almost therapeutic, gliding through the water as he pushed his body harder and further, he sought the muscle ache that would hopefully help him get at least a couple of hours of sleep.

* * *

Tossing and turning wasn't a new experience for Hermione, she had done it what felt like a million times since the war ended and even before that. But she didn't want to feel haggard in the morning, she didn't want to look like shite. They were meeting with _Gabrielle_ , she winced inwardly at the name, who would take them to the French aurors where they were to exchange information. And before that she had to teach her yoga. She groaned.

Now that she was alone, she could recognize why she felt so antagonistic towards Gabrielle.

She was _jealous_.

And when had she developed this crush or whatever it was towards Malfoy? She couldn't be sure but she was fairly certain that it had started sometime before their kiss at Vici. He was so… The word _wicked_ sprang to mind.

Because he _was_ wicked but not in a bad sense.

Wickedly handsome, wickedly sexy, wickedly mischievous, his gaze and smirk that held so many wicked promises, his words which could be wicked too but without the sting they held back when they were at school.

She didn't know what he thought of Gabrielle but she did not like the attention he was giving her. And in the deep dark recesses of her mind she knew why. She liked it when he gave herself attention, when he gave her goose bumps and when he touched her. In fact, she was regularly both dreaming and day-dreaming of that kiss. That sense-depriving kiss.

She shook her head and sat up to clear it. It didn't work at all but she gave herself an O for effort. She'd spent most of the evening after dinner trying to _not_ deal with the way Malfoy had made her feel in the lift and working furiously through the evening instead. She'd gone through most of the old files and notes and confirmed that portkeys would be the most likely way of getting the eggs out of the dragon cages for the nesting mothers.

She'd then started researching spells to trace portkeys. If she could tweak a spell or two, maybe they could go to Romania, cast the spell and then find the person or persons who was carrying portkeys. After that it would be a cinch to find out if the portkey was illegal or not, which it probably wouldn't be, but they needed to catch the person first.

Her mind was racing and she needed an outlet. Yoga wasn't good enough, she needed to burn off some of this restless energy. She considered going on a run but she didn't know the city so she nixed that idea but then the pool at the roof top terrace entered her mind. Perfect.

She hurried to her bag to fish out the bikini she'd had on the back of a shelf for ages now, donned it, the hotel slippers and a fluffy robe before taking the lift to the roof.

When she emerged from the lift, she was rather surprised that the water wasn't still. The waves rippling the water when she saw the pool through the glass doors at the end of the corridor but she didn't think much more about it, she'd just have to share and it was a large pool so she didn't think twice about it.

With her robe and slippers placed on a sunbed she walked to the edge of the pool. There was a man swimming furiously fast but seemingly effortlessly, he glided through the water like a bullet, it was a mesmerizing sight. His body was taut and strong and his hair was a dark blonde but it was difficult to tell in the dark and with his hair wet.

She sat down on the edge and moved her legs through the water, it was soothing and refreshing all at once, so she plopped deep into the water without further ado.

When her upper body broke the surface again however, the man was no longer swimming.

Quicksilver eyes were boring into hers with an unfathomable expression. He was only a few feet away and he was staring at her with an intensity she'd never experienced before.

She gasped softly and considered for a brief moment trying to explain herself. But he was here too. Maybe he had sleep-issues as well? Come to think of it, there was that one day of the fight where he'd owled her very early in the morning.

At her small intake of breath however, his eyes flew to her lips and he licked his own sculptured ones in return. It was a simple action but the heat pooled in her stomach and a flush was creeping up her cheeks.

His body was lean, chiselled and bare, except for a sprinkling of dark blonde hair that made her want to reach out and touch him, explore him. She bit her lip to keep from acting on the impulse.

As if he'd heard her thoughts, he strode forward with fierce determination on his face, trapped her between the edge of the pool and his body, enveloped her in his arms and kissed her, deep and hard.

She gasped again at his sudden forwardness and the feel of him flush up against her and he took full advantage. He plunged into her mouth like a man on a mission. Instinctively, she put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, she needed him closer.

One of his hands moved from her waist and drifted down her stomach, she wanted him so badly to touch her, to make her implode. He surprised her when his hand moved around to grab her arse instead and pulled her body up to him in the water. She curled both legs around his waist and he immediately started rhythmically grinding his pelvis slowly into hers.

The feeling was divine.

She melted into him. This was miles better than their kiss at Vici because now they were in their own skin. His kisses were everything. When he roughly ran his thumb across an exposed nipple, she completely lost track of the entire world around them. She hadn't even realized that he'd released her breasts from the confines of her bikini top. It was fire and ice all rolled into one, fuelling her desire for him.

She could feel an almost feral possessive rumble in his chest that made her see stars behind her closed lids, it elevated her arousal to practically unbearable heights and she clutched him to her, their tongues discovering and her body craving release as he rubbed her aching core over and over. She could feel herself building already and she didn't want it to end.

Until she heard a slight cough and froze.

She pulled away from him slightly but he kept her trapped between him and the edge of the pool, hopefully to give her time to cover her breasts which she promptly did.

Draco was looking over her shoulder towards the doors to the lifts with narrowed eyes and when she turned to look, she saw a maintenance wizard looking highly embarrassed. He was looking intently at the stars above and mumbled something about cleaning the pool every night and that usually no one was up here at this hour.

She was mortified. Again.

Because they'd been caught snogging heatedly. Again.

Quickly she extradited herself from Draco, pulled herself back onto the terrace, grabbed her things and fled, literally.

Just before the glass doors closed behind her and she started banging on the lift buttons, she heard an audible male groan coming from the direction of the pool.

It was cowardly, yes. Even her inner Gryffindor roared with all its might at her spineless reaction but it couldn't be helped. She just fled from him.

* * *

Draco groaned and punched the water in frustration as he again watched that maddening woman flee from him. He now had an erection as hard as steel to deal with and the pool guy was patiently waiting for him to exit the pool, busying himself with fixing some of the sun beds that were askew.

He sighed deeply.

He took several deep breaths to calm his raging body and hoisted himself out of the pool. He didn't look back, he just grabbed a towel and went to his room, then he placed a series of complicated silencing spells before he started pacing while cussing loudly and violently.

That infuriating witch! It was like she was toying with him. His body ached for him to go to her. Claim her, sate her until the wee hours of the morning.

That made him pause. Of course, _the morning_.

She was meant to teach Gabrielle yoga on the terrace this morning, he thought it was around six thirty. He smirked to himself.

Well, if the witch was going to play hard to get and literally run away from him when they had that kind of chemistry, he would just make himself even more available for Gabrielle to flirt with. Maybe that would spur the Gryffindor princess on a bit.

With that diabolical plan rolling around his head, he finally fell asleep with the smirk still grazing his lips.

* * *

Hermione woke to the sound of her wand-alarm at quarter past six in the morning. She whined and moaned to herself about the fact that she now had to spend time with Gabrielle.

Nevertheless, a promise was a promise, so she got up and donned her workout clothes, put her hair up into a high bun, took a few mats from the deep recesses her bag and trudged reluctantly to the lifts.

As the lift doors opened, they revealed a stunning Gabrielle Delacour, wearing a much too small top and short shorts, showing off most of her body to the world. Trying to school her censure of this very scanty outfit, she merely smiled and said good morning which the French witch returned.

They emerged onto the roof top terrace in silence to find a casually dressed Draco Malfoy at a table, reading the paper, drinking coffee and eating croissants. He wore just dark jeans and a t-shirt and it suited him so well, she almost choked. His casual elegance was something which made it very clear to her that they should never be together, no matter what her feelings about him were, which he should and would never know at all.

She felt too clumsy around him. He always looked like he was laughing at her and, she thought with deep chagrin, he probably was.

That was why she decided to ignore him as much as he was ignoring her. When Gabrielle made her way over to his table to flirt with him, she went the other way to an empty part of the terrace and placed the mats there, ready for the lesson.

However, it didn't seem as though Gabrielle was in a hurry to start. She was sitting at the table now, biting into a piece of his pastry and seductively giggling and purring at Draco.

Wait, when did she start thinking about him as Draco and not just Malfoy? She frowned to herself and sat down on her mat with her back firmly to them and her face to the morning sun as it rose on the horizon. She then closed her eyes and started emptying her mind, including blocking the laughter and irking flirtatious giggling she could hear behind her.

When she was done ten minutes later, Gabrielle still made no move towards her but kept flirting madly with Draco who flirted right back, much to her annoyance.

So she began on her own, enjoying being able to go through her moves in her own time but shooting covert glances every now and then towards the pair of them, chatting away.

At one point when there was a pause in their chatter, she caught Draco staring at her intensely with an indefinable look in his eyes, she blushed and averted her eyes as quickly as possible, remembering all those fiery feelings he brought out in her the night before.

Just with one look, one bleeding look, even when he was flirting with someone else, he gave her goose bumps.

_Wicked man._

Only a minute or so later, she saw Gabrielle coming towards her looking rather put out. Behind her Draco was still staring penetratingly at her and not at the French girl who was swaying her hips as seductively as humanly possible. Despite herself, she liked it, a lot.

Actually, she realized that she did like him. For real. Why, she didn't know. He could be a real prat sometimes but she still liked him. Maybe that was why she fled last night. She didn't know up from down around him. When they kissed it was so completely all-consuming that she couldn't think at all. And that was only kissing and maybe a bit of a touch here and there. She shivered to think how explosive actually having sex with him could be. And she did think about it. Rather a lot actually.

That was probably why she was holding back. She wasn't into casual relationships that were only about sex. Especially when it came to colleagues. She liked him but maybe she was actually falling a bit for him? It scared her because she was probably alone in it.

She looked up to see Gabrielle walking towards her with a winning smile that was clearly forced. "So, 'ow do we do zis yoga?"

* * *

After their awkward abbreviated yoga session with Draco watching and breakfast afterwards, they met up in the lobby at eight. Gabrielle was taking them to the French Ministry of Magic in Paris by floo.

Harry, who had wisely chosen to avoid the roof top terrace, was in a brilliant mood. Almost too brilliant. He told her discreetly that he had a gut feeling that they would crack this case very soon and be rid of Gabrielle even sooner. Hermione merely looked at him with an extremely dubious expression gracing her face. Harry, the incorrigible optimist, didn't have a moment's doubt that their break through would come speedily and seemed to be satisfied relying on luck and chance. As she was naturally suspicious, she soon found out that Harry had consumed no less than five espressos in the breakfast parlour of the hotel that morning which had caused him to be uncharacteristically chipper. She was forcibly reminded of his behaviour after he'd drunk the Felix Felicis potion in sixth year.

He practically bounced over to greet Gabrielle and Draco with an unrelentingly cheerful expression his face and Hermione watched on in horror as he almost hugged Draco before the man could disentangle himself. How she wished she'd had a camera! The look of absolute revulsion on Draco's face was bloody priceless! After seeing Draco's reaction, her horror soon gave way for a wide grin which then turned into bellowing laughter.

She sank into an armchair and tried very hard to reign in her mirth when Draco gave her a very pointed and annoyed look, unfortunately it only made her laugh even harder.

After a moment though, it would seem that he'd had enough, so he walked over and placed his hands on each of the armrests, effectively caging her in, leaned in close and bit her sharply on her earlobe before soothing the chock by nibbling on it gently. She choked on a stifled moan mid-laugh, his mercurial ways were already wreaking havoc with her insides. "Being the joke is not something I usually appreciate Granger." His whispered words sent flames of fire through every fibre of her being and she could feel his breath on her neck. He paused to lightly suck her earlobe, she could feel his tongue at work too and the spikes of pleasure running through her was intoxicating. "You are normally _such_ a good student, maybe I should teach you a lesson, hmm?"

From an outsider's point of view, it would look like he just whispered to her but his underhanded tactic had her body and mind in complete disarray. She didn't know how to react to his proposition, because she knew that was what it was. She didn't know if he was just playing with her, trying to make her go crazy because she did feel rather crazy around him.

He pulled back to look her in the eye and his eyes were dancing with the challenge, she was sorely tempted to say yes. She didn't want to flee from him again and she didn't like backing down, it wasn't in her nature. Actually, she wanted to pull him a lot closer. Also, she positively quivered at the possible anticipation, in her minds eye she tried to imagine it and gods, she _did_ want it. But she didn't know if she could actually say the words. She wanted to nod but that was when Harry remembered them.

He had ambled over and was standing right beside her, without acknowledging Draco crowding her. "'Mione, are you coming? Gabrielle is waiting, she is very charming don't you think? These French aurors sound very good, we might not have to do much." He talked very fast and grinned at her, a bit more subdued than five minutes earlier but it was still very uncharacteristic of Harry to not want to do everything himself.

Draco was looking at Harry with amusement and he raised a single eyebrow at her. Maybe he'd realized that it actually wasn't only Draco she was laughing at but the determination in his eyes made her think that he didn't have any intention of retracting his challenge.

_Bollocks._

What was she supposed to do now?

Undaunted of Draco hovering over her, Harry pulled her from the armchair and over to Gabrielle who was looking thunderous. "Zis way." She was curt and she turned abruptly towards the lobby floo. "You just say Ministère de la Magie. Lets go!" Her frown was especially directed at Draco and Hermione was feeling a tiny bit smug about it.

* * *

They flooed to the French ministry one by one, Gabrielle refusing to travel with any of them. He knew he'd pissed her off but he really couldn't bring himself to care. She was but a girl compared to the luscious Granger.

His grand plan of flirting heavily with Gabrielle hadn't been nearly as successful as he'd planned, he knew she'd been a bit jealous but he liked her recent reaction to his lewd suggestion much better. She wasn't all that squeaky clean, he felt it. He could see the range of emotions flitting across her face when he'd pulled back to look at her and it had shown initial surprise, then intrigue, interest and finally undiluted lust. It had been a heady and most welcome realisation that she wanted it as much as he did.

As they convened in the lobby of the massive ministry he was careful to walk in the back, Gabrielle was up front leading them, Potter and Granger was walking together, muttering very fast and he was enjoying the view behind Granger.

After about ten minutes of walking, lifts and something like a slide, they arrived in the auror office. Immediately there was a commotion and about ten witches and wizards swarmed Potter and Granger like bees to a flower. Exclamations were heard all around at the honour of meeting the legendary British war heroes and much to their consternation they were besieged by the people around them, clamouring for autographs and greetings.

He pulled way back, not interested in being engulfed by the steadily growing throng. He was watching Granger as discreetly as possible but more than once did she catch his eyes with a subtle smirk of her own. She was no boring witch and he longed to explore her. He somehow had a feeling that he would never tire of exploring her.

Only someone in the throng of people decided that they wanted to explore her as well and grabbed her arse. Granger showed in a flash exactly why she also had a bit of a reputation for ruthlessness. The wizard was instantly flung up against the wall and stuck there. A few people laughed but Granger merely gave him a derisive look worthy of his own mother, a feat no other witch had even come close to rival, and turned back to her admirers.

That simple action made his body harden, she was formidable, bossy and a bookworm. But she was also luscious and soft and fit him to perfection. It was like finding his lost puzzle piece.

He could see the colleagues of the foolish wizard trying to get their friend down but no spells helped. He was stuck until such a time as Granger deemed that he could come down. That only made him crave her more. She had a dark side, tinged with light certainly, but he wanted to get to know it, to know all of her.

His mind was reeling and she looked at him just then and held his gaze. That was when the strangest feeling came over him. His entire world tilted and righted itself in a moment but it left him an altered man. It made him a man on a mission.

That was when he truly realized it.

He wasn't just trying to fuck her. He was playing for keeps and it scared him shitless. Except that Malfoy men were never scared of course...

_Fuck!_

* * *

The awed expressions directed at her from the people around her made her no closer to letting the groping wanker down from the wall. The sticking charm she'd used on him was of her own invention and she knew he wasn't going anywhere for quite a while. It had been an especially handy little charm during the war. Some of those snatchers and Death Douches had really thought her defenceless because she didn't have her wand. How very wrong they were.

And then there was Draco.

The most confusing man she'd ever met. Maybe because she really wanted to get to know him? She liked him but during the 'siege of the French' she had felt something shift between them. She didn't know if he liked her. He wanted her, sure. She wasn't in any doubt about that but she didn't just want a shag from him anymore. He had depth to him which she'd seen every now and then on rare occasions and it intrigued her immensely.

The widening of his eyes as she silently and wandlessly removed that disgusting wizard from her immediate vicinity and then the subsequent darkening of his eyes which sent a lust-filled gaze her way had her positively trembling as a piercing stab of fire shot down her spine. Maybe he liked it when she was showing off. She wanted to test out her theory and filed it away for later examination.

When she and Harry finally extracted themselves from the crown around them Gabrielle, having made no effort to get them away from all of those people, led them down a long hallway to a conference room. It seemed airy and had enchanted floor to ceiling windows on two sides which showed the beautiful city of Paris and a sparkling blue sky. Hermione longed to explore Paris. She had only been to the south of France with her parents and she'd heard that Paris was amazing.

They were greeted by no less than six aurors, all dressed in dark grey robes and the highest ranking sent Gabrielle from the room after the introductions had been made. She might be their liaison but she was not cleared for the particulars of this case.

To her consternation however, Cormac McLaggen was there and he was smugly winking at her from the opposite side of the room. She wanted to launch an array of hexes at the arrogant toe-rag but he was completely oblivious to her displeasure at seeing him there.

She even saw that the French Minister for Magic was there, currently fawning over Harry and weirdly enough, Draco too. She wasn't sure what to make of that. Harry was still acting all high-spirited and delighted with everything around him.

It was a very eclectic gathering of people. From the very sombre French aurors to the smug winking bastard in the corner to the overly exuberant minister.

Only now did she see that Draco wasn't exactly returning the minister's happy greeting, in fact, he looked rather sulky about being approached by the minister in the first place. It would seem that he moved away as soon as possible and she was dying to know why. It didn't fit into her understanding of Draco to avoid the spotlight or not want to befriend the current French Minister for Magic.

After many exclamations from both the minister and Harry they finally were able to settle down and start the meeting. To both her great delight and utter annoyance, she sat between Draco and McLaggen who kept on feeling her up when she really wanted Draco to do it instead, though he was stubbornly keeping his hands to himself. In the end she had to jinx McLaggen every time he came too close to her. That worked for about a minute. She rolled her eyes at his infuriating tenacity. She then decided to enchant her thighs with a trip-jinx for him.

The authoritative French head auror, Pierre Guerin, was giving them all possible information they had. The barge was filled to the brim with complicated enchantments and disguises and they actually still had curse breakers working on the trickier disguises. Hermione was scribbling furiously. She was surprised that they hadn't discovered any of those themselves but it was only her and Harry who'd actually searched the barge and they hadn't been through all of it either. For one thing, she had been way too distracted by Draco and Gabrielle flirting.

The auror went on to specify that no eggs were discovered anywhere and confirmed both that the dragon appeared out of nowhere and that a small metal spoon was found which had magical traces of having been a portkey, thereby affirming her theory. The dragon itself was currently in transport back to the Romanian Sanctuary, a portkey was suggested to make the transport as quick as possible but portkeys were made for human travel, not animal travel and especially not for huge dragons. The fact that the dragon had appeared by portkey in the village unharmed was practically a miracle.

The French were sending a team of aurors with the dragon back to Romania and they were staying there to investigate further from the ground into the employees at the Sanctuary. Here Draco piped up and shared his knowledge of the employees along with an agreement to share the report he and his colleagues had made.

After that, many ideas to catch the culprits were bounced around the room and between Harry, who had by now sobered up from his espresso-binge, and auror Pierre they were already planning several avenues the case would be investigated.

McLagged tried several times to interject himself into the investigations to appear very important but as soon as Auror Pierre realized who Harry was, i.e. the British head auror, McLaggen was completely side-lined and she couldn't help feeling rather smug about it. She even saw the side of Draco's cheek lifted in that enticing smirk of his.

She was wondering what the difference between how she saw his smirk now and how she'd seen it in school. Back then it seemed cold, calculating, superior and cruel but now she could see nothing but warmth, wickedness, flirtation and mischief. After some thought she decided it wasn't the smirk itself. It was his eyes that made all of the difference for her, his eyes just didn't look at her the same way anymore.

The meeting was ending and McLaggen was grumbling beside her. He had tried to grope her no less than twenty-one times since she activated her small stinging jinx which meant that he was now rather sore on the corresponding area of his own thigh.

As she got up, someone put their hand on her lower back to guide her. The warmth burning though her body at the slight touch was extremely telling and she liked that he could be a gentleman in situations like this. Unlike McLaggen.

When they finally arrived back at the hotel late that afternoon with Gabrielle in tow, she was ready to eat and get a good night's sleep. She was knackered. The meeting had continued long after lunch and she was laden with reports in French and she'd almost filled an entire notebook!

Her progress was stopped when a small morphing ball of bright light appeared in front of Harry suddenly and they all recognized the hawk patronus as belonging to Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw from school who was now working for Harry as an auror. The hawk opened its mouth and delivered its short desperate message. _"We have a serious problem, the Horntail is loose in muggle London, muggles have died! Come as soon as possible!"_

Before the patronus had faded from its spot they were all running to their rooms, gathering their things. They needed to get back to London _now_.


	15. The arrests

Of course Gabrielle was the one to delay their return to London. As soon as they were all packed, she insisted on them actually being present in the lobby at the checkout of their rooms and they were all on edge to get going but Hermione seriously suspected that she had told the front desk to slow down their progress. Gabrielle was paying no mind to their agitation and tried _again_ , rather unsuccessfully much to her delight, to flirt with both Harry and Draco at once.

None of them were susceptible to her charms however, they had their heads filled with the disaster tearing through London at this very moment. In the end Hermione had to put a stop to the delay.

She turned to the receptionist at the desk. "We are leaving now. If you need us for anything, you can contact us at the British Ministry of Magic." She then turned to Gabrielle with hard eyes. "Gabrielle, thank you for your attention during our stay,-" Her voice had no kindness and only impatience with the younger witch's flailing antics, she clearly didn't get the scale of the calamity happening in London. "-but we really have to go now. Goodbye."

Before Gabrielle could do anything but gape at her with a cross expression on her delicate features, she grabbed both Harry and Draco and apparated them to the village by the French coast where they'd arrived. Giving herself a single moment to wonder at magic in general, because there were absolutely no traces of the Ironbelly having been there and torn two houses down, she pulled out the return portkey and keeping a firm grasp on the men around her, they were swept towards the Ministry of Magic in London in a swirl of colours.

* * *

For the second time in just two days, they expected to arrive to complete chaos but to their thorough surprise, the ministry was eerily silent.

They arrived at the portkey point of the ministry in the atrium and it was empty. They couldn't hear a sound and were instantly on alert, all of them whipping their wands out and looking around with practised eyes. You didn't survive a war without honing very good battle instincts and a completely empty ministry atrium, even late in the day, was on the-very-much-suspicious-list.

They moved carefully forward, scanning every crevice of the large room and expecting an attack with every step forward. Much to their disbelief however, absolutely nothing happened.

It was rather anticlimactic.

When they arrived at the lifts, the tense silence stretched on until they could hear a lift coming closer. The gate opened to reveal a very busy and stressed Percy Weasley.

"Harry? Hermione? Mr. Malfoy? Capitol." His overly stressed demeanour changed immediately to relaying every important information to the head auror, Hermione and Draco Malfoy, an important and on-the-rise employee of the Department of Magical Law. "Every auror and guard available has been dispatched to deal with a vicious dragon attack in central muggle London, the ministry entries have been temporarily closed until further notice and everyone not working on capturing the dragon and protecting the muggles have been asked to remain in their office for the time being. The press is in uproar and I am trying to keep up with their abundant owls today but even _I_ cannot reply fast enough." He might have been stressed but he was still his very pompous and important self, if the situation hadn't been so serious she might have chuckled at him.

After his short explanation, Hermione released a small sigh of relief when she realized that the ministry hadn't been breached by dark wizards. Unconsciously her entire body had coiled itself tight, ready to spring at anything and everything.

Harry now asked rapid-fire questions of Percy, where, when, how (if he knew that yet?), what dragon species, how old and so on. He'd gone into complete auror-mode and after receiving as many answers from Percy as he could, he grabbed both her and Draco and apparated them close to the site.

She didn't need to hear Percy's assent that it was a Hungarian Horntail to know which Horntail it was. She thought they were prepared for this but how very wrong they were.

It was dark, the streets were lit by the street-lights, casting shadows everywhere. They could hear the dragon roar in the distance and the path of destruction trailing the Horntail was obvious. They could also see blood on the pavement of Piccadilly Circus, where they were now running towards Leicester Square, following the destroyed cars, windows and the harrowing noise. Every where they looked, there were wizards trying to contain this disaster from the muggles' knowledge.

She could hear people screaming with fright and she was wondering if the Horntail hadn't been caught yet. It ought to have been caught by now. At least an hour had passed since they'd gotten Boot's patronus.

They turned the corner and were shocked to see the even though the Horntail had indeed been caught in a magical cage, the dragon was by no means contained. It spewed fire as far as it was able and roared again and again in agitation and rage.

Harry ran directly towards Boot who was looking distinctly tired and worn out. His job as acting chief when Harry was away had him very harried. "Boot, why isn't the Horntail properly contained? And where are the wards to conceal both the dragon and us from the muggles?" He looked around at all of the frightened muggles who were either terrified or taking pictures as many pictures with their cameras as possible. The last thing was a real issue.

Boot sighed deeply, looking more tired than she'd ever seen before. "None of us have enough energy left to raise wards like that. You weren't kidding when you told us that this thing was raised to be a fighter, we damn well nearly didn't catch it!"

Harry turned his head to her and Draco and nodded to them. She turned to him and silently the both of them started concealing themselves, the dragon and most importantly, the piercing sounds from the staring muggles.

They could see the disbelief in many of the muggles' eyes when they disappeared before their very eyes and finally the obliviators could start their work, repairing the damaged property, obliviating the muggles and dealing with the many cameras in their hands.

She and Draco seemed to work together well, their magic was very compatible as they raised as many wards as they could think of. Their magic combined weaved an ever stronger and more complicated web of wards that ended up being an impenetrable wall protecting them from all prying eyes, muggle or magic.

It took another hour for the obliviators to complete their tasks consisting of the dealing with the muggles and the cameras and then for the crowds to disburse.

Harry was trying to be everywhere at once. He checked and double checked with everyone, trying and failing to compel the healers to revive the lost muggles.

Six in total.

The loss of lives on this case was now a staggering eleven here and in the French village.

Twentyone with minor injuries and eight severely injured and requiring treatment in St. Mungo's.

It was impossible.

Tragic and completely unnecessary.

Angry tears were springing to her eyes and she was almost shaking with rage. It was such an unnecessary loss of life and she was practically blind with fury. Her hands were balled into tight fists and her nails were digging deep into her palms. Through her red hazed vision, she could see Harry repeatedly running his hands through his hair in frustration. She could feel her magic crackling around her slight form and red vicious sparks were shooting continuously from the wand in her hand. Suddenly she felt a couple of strong arms engulfing her and he was cooing softly in her ear to get her to calm down.

"Shush Granger, relax. There's no need for you to spontaneously combust now, we'll get them and make them pay to within an inch of the law. And when they're caught, I just might leave you and _that woman_ -" He hissed the words angrily through gritted teeth. "-alone in a soundproofed room together and go get myself a coffee for a couple of hours."

He was soothing her rage surprisingly well, the combination of the safety and security she felt in his embrace combined with his angry words truly helped her to channel her rage into determination to solve this mystery of a case. He wasn't done though. "How about if we gather up Weasel and Brown today for you to practice on, hm?" He sounded almost cheerful now and she couldn't stop the small giggle that escaped her.

"What was that Malfoy?" Harry was approaching them with a fierce expression on his face, seemingly completely unconcerned that she was standing in the arms of their former nemesis.

"Oh, I was just suggesting to Granger that she could let her rage loose on the Weasel and Brown to practice before we catch whoever did this." He casually explained his threat to three people to the head auror with a shrug, his arms tightening a bit around her.

"Ha ha, very funny. I didn't know you had it in you to joke Malfoy, I'm almost impressed." He said sarcastically.

"Well, actually Potter, I'm only half-joking." Harry's eyebrows disappeared under his chaotic dark fringe at the implications of this short statement.

Draco grimaced at him in acknowledgement of his plight. "They are our best lead currently. We need more information, especially after this,-" He gestured to the chaos around them. "-and they seemed to be regulars at the fight so they might have new information for us."

Harry's eyes darkened visibly and he frowned. Hermione knew she needed to support her friend, so she gently untangled herself from Draco with a smile of thanks, approached Harry and took his hand in hers. "Harry,-" Her voice was as gentle as possible."-he's right, we have to start attacking this case head on. We have lots of different leads and one of those very real leads is Ron and Lavender."

His shoulders slumped. "I know, I saw their cheers in your memories. But I was hoping that we could avoid that though." He confessed in a small voice to her.

"I know, me too, but the law comes first and just the fact that they're attending the dragon fights and gambling on them is a felony." She knew she shouldn't sugarcoat it, Harry needed to know that Ron and Lavender would be fined at the very least.

To her great astonishment, Harry turned towards Draco. "Will they go to Azkaban?"

Draco seemed to ponder the question thoroughly and chose his words with great care. "It depends very much on their answers when we question them and if they agree to assist us or not. Their transgressions are not that substantial but if the Wizengamot are looking for make an example out of them, then they might have to serve a month or two in Azkaban. Personally I would recommend a couple of months of house arrest without being able to use magic to teach them the lesson of being helpless as the youngest dragons are in the fights."

Harry nodded to himself, his eyes seeing nothing in front of him. "I can live with that, what they've done is illegal no matter how hard I try to justify their actions in my own head." He coughed to clear his throat and called over three of his aurors.

Before them Harry went into head-auror-mode as she liked to call it. He stood tall and spoke with command and authority in his voice. "We need more information, bring in Ronald Weasley and Lavender Brown tomorrow morning and put them in separate holding cells." Two of the aurors' eyes widened at having to arrest a member of the Golden Trio but seeing as the order came from Harry Potter himself, they knew it wasn't just a bad joke. Only Terry Boot was nodding with a frown and the three aurors dissapparated together to the ministry to plan before bringing in his former classmates from school.

When the aurors had gone, Harry turned to her. "I sorta hate this case you know." He said quietly.

"I know." She said sadly and gave his hand another squeeze.

"Okay okay,-" Came an impatient voice beside them. "-enough with the bloody gloom already. It just the Weasel for Salazars sake." They both scowled at him and he just gave them both a pointed look. "We need to get back to work." Draco was saying briskly and they might not like it but they both knew that he was right.

* * *

The next morning they were standing outside the holding cells, looking in at the two people sitting on the stools.

The Daily Prophet headlines had been about nothing other than the dragon attack. Speculations, analysis, suggestions, outraged readers and of course, Rita Skeeter and her mindless minions were currently swarming the lobby with questions and vitriolic jabs towards the minister.

Kingsley had taken it all with surprising calm but he had taken it upon himself to oversee the case. Unfortunately this meant almost daily meetings with a range of high ranking ministry employees at the ministry and only after Harry, Draco and her had explained the problem regarding a mole, had they been granted complete confidentiality across the ministry regarding the case. Hermione had spent most of the night and early morning enchanting all of their casefiles with some nasty trip-jinxes, scrambling-spells and traces before they were copied and delivered to ensure only cleared personel would be able to read the files.

Kingsley, Harry and Boot were currently discussing who should question Ron and who should question Lavender. It was quickly decided that the third auror, John Aventi, should question Lavender, she didn't know him and hopefully the interrogation would be fruitful. They were much more concerned about Ron's questioning.

Lavender was fidgeting nervously and acting very jittery and Ron was slouching, looking supremely bored and unconcerned with his current predicament.

They all agreed, much to her consternation, that she shouldn't be the one to question any of them yet. Something about her wrath was mentioned and she reluctantly agreed in a huff of annoyance.

She was rather surprised however, when Draco said that he would happily start the interview. They all gaped at him but he explained his reasoning well enough. He could piss off Ron first so he might be forthcoming to Harry and Boot when they entered the room.

If that didn't give them enough information, then Charlie and Hermione would have free range to question him and Lavender the next day.

They all knew Ron's temper, so they readily agreed.

* * *

He sauntered into the small room slowly. Ronald Weasley was sitting behind the table between them, looking absolute murder at him. He smirked at the stupidity of a man in front of him, sat down in the chair and put both his feet up onto the table, just because he fucking could. Weasel gave him a disgusted look and he relished it. He might not be particularly evil in nature but he just couldn't help himself when it came to the red-haired menace.

"Really ferret? _You?_ They send _you_ to question me?" His face turned even redder and it was now scrunched up in hatred.

He merely chuckled to himself, enjoying having this excuse for a man by the balls. Or at the very least, soon in chains.

"Why have you arrested me? This is shite Malfoy, you've only arrested me and Lavender to piss me off and you know it. You know who I am and you're nothing but a filthy Death Eater. I'll be out of here as soon as Harry hears about this."

"Your stupidity astounds me, Weasley. Those fights are appalling."

"Oh shut the hell up Malfoy. What fights? I've no idea what you're on about."

"What utter bollocks." His voice was dripping with derision. "So, you and your nitwit girlfriend watching just-hatched dragons fighting each other to the death isn't something that you know anything about? Not even that we have evidence of you both choosing to bet on it? How is it even possible to be that thick? Did you take some sort of class?"

"You don't know anything, you're just a nasty excuse for a wizard you know." Draco merely shrugged, he didn't care at all what the weasel thought of him.

"Well, here's the thing I _do_ know. You're lucky that I'm the one interviewing you and not Granger, she has promised to have vengeance on you. I for one, cannot wait for that _glorious_ day." He smirked vindictively.

Weasley paled at his words. "'Mione? Wha… What are you on about?" He tried to seem fierce but Draco could tell that he was scared by the newly developed sheen of sweat on his forehead. The slight tremble in his voice didn't help him either. He seemed to pull himself together after a few moments though. "Is that a threat Malfoy?" He said mulishly, his chin jutting out defiantly.

A low chuckle escaped him and he shrugged. "I'm merely stating a fact Weasley. No threats were made at all." He said nonchalantly, trying to hide the fact that he desperately wanted to pummel the Weasel, he so deserved it.

After another hour of increasingly antagonistic conversation, they sent in Potter and Boot then to put a stop to the obvious animosity between them, as Potter was much to partial towards ginger to question him alone.

"Harry! Great to see you mate, the ferret here had some sort of idea that I've done something wrong." He grinned confidently. "Could you get me out of here now?"

Potter sighed, he clearly hated having to question his friend. "No Ron, you're here because I ordered the aurors to bring you and Lavender in."

"Wha…?" Freckle-face looked completely nonplussed. "You're joking right? We haven't done anything wrong." He frowned but trying valiantly to keep up his appearance of bravado.

He sighed and sat down in front of one of his best friends. "We know that you have been present and have bet on underground dragon fights. Please explain it to me in a way that could possibly help me to understand what the hell you are thinking. These fights are animal cruelty and the dragons are so young. Why would you ever bet on something like that?"

* * *

Outside the room, Charlie had joined Hermione. She had conjured them cushy armchairs to watch the interview more confortably. Hermione's notepad was forgotten on her lap. Both of them were deathly quiet and merely stared at Ron.

Hermione sucked in a breath when Ron immediately started spluttering and tried as vehemently as possible to deny the claim from his best friend. She was surprised that he would actually try to deny something that Harry had just told him they knew. Did he think it was easy for Harry or her to see him on the wrong side of the table.

Harry cut him off quickly. "Please stop. It is not fabricated evidence, it is fact. Currently both you and Lavender can be charged with blatant disregard of magical animal safety regarding magical animals in distress as well as gambling on illegal dragon fights. In addition to that, I am appalled that you and Lavender would ever participate in something like this, I've seen the memories and your enthusiasm for the fights. What the fuck Ron?!" The frustration Harry felt was evident in his every syllable.

A slightly puce shade was creeping up Ron's face and he started to get angry. "That's none of your fucking business, that's what! I can do whatever the hell I want and I don't answer to any of you! Especially not my _so-called best friend_ and some fucking random dude from school!" His voice was dripping with derision and disgust.

Hermione wanted to barge in there and demand that Ron just answer their questions! She hated seeing him in there, hated seeing him in that position but she knew he'd brought in upon himself.

* * *

Draco was still standing in the corner of the room, observing weasel's behaviour closely. The interrogation was derailing fast and from the expressions on both Potter and Boot, who remained silent, then their impartiality towards both the case and the weasel-king was slipping rather quickly so, being the exceptionally gracious man that he was of course, he decided to intervene despite their earlier agreement. "Excuse me." He tried very hard to keep the revulsion for the inept idiot from his voice.

All three men focused on him and he began talking to the dumb red. "I understand that the personal relationships between you and us three is both an important and disrupting factor in this questioning. However, just because you and Potter are mates then you and your girlfriend are _not_ escaping these charges. They stand as they are and you can both be swiftly prosecuted if needed."

"Now, seeing as I am the lead investigator from the Department of Magical Law on this case, it is within my power to recommend your sentencing to the Wizengamot. I will endeavour to keep my recommendation, despite our previous relationship, as impartial as possible,-" The fire crotch snorted at him but he kept on speaking. "-but it is very much contingent on how valuable your information to us is."

He struggled to stay aloof from the tangible emotions saturating the small room. This was _not_ his problem, their little friendship-issues was _not_ the most important in this questioning and they all needed to get their fucking heads straight again. "Yesterday six muggles were slaughtered by the same Hungarian Horntail that we know you betted on at the last fight, seeing as it was hungry and was released in central muggle London. It has now been captured and attended to by your brother, Charlie Weasley, who has kindly been assisting us in this case."

The moron interrupted him. "Charlie knows?" About me and this?" He turned to Potter. "Why the hell did you tell Charlie?! He's gonna kill me!"

Draco decided to answer that question as well, none of these other people were able to put aside their personal issues or emotions in favour of the case. "Yes, he knows and yes, he's not happy with you. Now let's move on to how you and your bint might be able to avoid a stint in Azkaban for your crimes."

He visibly paled. "A… Azkaban?" He turned to Potter. "You can't send us there mate. Please."

Potter took a deep breath and answered as evenly as he could. "It's not up to me Ron. The aurors' jobs are to capture the criminals and then the Department of Magical Law takes over the prosecution which is based on the evidence, what information we gather from the interview and how helpful the information you provide is. And Malfoy is right Ron, he _is_ the one making the recommendation for your sentence to the Wizengamot."

"Why _him_?! It could have been anyone!" If he could have gone any redder, he probably would have but seeing as he was close to turning purple, there wasn't any more redness in him. Draco was intrigued to see that there actually was a limit for that. Go figure.

"Well that's obvious Weasley, it's because I'm the best." He gave him a victorious smirk and the prat almost vibrated with anger.

Potter scowled at him. "You're not exactly helping things Malfoy."

He shrugged. "Wouldn't you rather have him angry at me than you?" He didn't give a shite what the Weasel thought about him. He could see realization dawn on Potter's face and a smirk-like smile appeared. _Finally_ he was getting it.

After another eight straight hours of questioning the thickest man in wizarding Britain, in his own brilliant opinion of course, they found that he didn't actually know much of anything. Jack Flame had approached him and Lavender at a Chudley Cannons game just before the summer and they'd been to five fights in total.

Neither of them had at any time questioned where they got the dragons from or speculated much about the illegality of the fights in general. To them it was just a good thrill and weasel just loved being the 'famous one' there. He told them that he'd been fawned over by most of the guests at the first fight and the shine in his eyes was unmistakable. He did provide three names, one of them they'd already gotten from the muggle Pansy spoke with during the fight. He might be a key to the case.

When they finally called it quits and exited the room, Granger was sitting outside in a plush red armchair, no doubt conjured by her to observe the interrogations without getting too tired. Her notepad and pen was on the floor, filled with closely written notes. She looked drawn, tired and annoyed and looking at Potter and Boot, they had the same expressions.

Surely nothing a little alcohol couldn't cure. "Anyone up for a drink perhaps?"

* * *

The three of them were sitting in a booth at Vici. Boot had gone home long ago and Potter and Granger were drowning their sorrows regarding the red menace and he'd decided to join them in their binge-drinking, because why not.

The bar was bustling with people but they didn't know anyone there but Greg and Susan Bones.

They spent two hours drinking each other into oblivion and he enjoyed himself quite a lot, which surprised him. Granger was sitting beside him and somehow, during the course of the late hours that had passed, her thigh was now flush up against his and his hand was resting on it, caressing her every now and then. It felt natural. He decided not to question that part.

At one point, Potter had squinted at the two of them as though he was thinking hard. "You know, this-" He was waving his hand repeatedly between them. "-is bloody wierd. But you know, whatever floats your boat. I don't really get it though." He squinted at them and then shrugged and got up to order another two rounds for them, muttering to himself. "I can't bloody think when I'm drunk." Thoughtful pause and then. "I need a drink!"

Granger was blushing furiously beside him, it was a rather adorable sight. And she didn't bash his hand on her thigh away all through the evening. He took that as a very good sign.

When Potter finally left, stumbling three times before reaching the door, he leaned into Granger beside him. "Do you think we can trust him not to splinch himself?"

She just shrugged. "He'll probably get a taxi home. He can't even stand straight, let alone apparate."

"What's a taxi?"

"A muggle car and driver who will drive you home for money."

"Huh? That sounds bloody weird Granger." He shrugged and leaned back in the booth, staring up at the ceiling. The room was spinning.

"By the way, why is it that you're intent on pissing Ron off with every single one of your sentences?" She was surprisingly capable of speaking clearly. He wasn't certain that he could _say_ the same. He chuckled at his own dumb joke.

"It's just my natural charm that always manifests whenever the weasel is around." He slurred his words.

"You really can be an arrogant prat you know."

He looked up at her with a smirk and another shrug. "That is true." They'd had so many drinks by now that he wasn't even sure if he would be able to walk to the floo.

She made an extravagant hand gesture, spilling most of her whiskey sour. "And you're an antagonistic jerk sometimes too!"

"That is also true." He took another swig of his firewhiskey and leaned in closely to whisper darkly in her ear. "But you like it, don't you Granger?" He didn't know what his face was showing but his voice had gone husky and gravelly. The sudden heated gaze that she flashed at him gave him her plain answer and when her tongue darted out to moisture her lush lips, he was lost.

Without further talk or beating around the bush, he slowly touched his lips to hers. Her lips were soft, plush and so fucking perfect. She tasted like the whiskey sour she'd been drinking. He moved closer and put his arms around her waist and to his delight, she mirrored his actions by roping her arms around his neck.

"What the fuck are you two doing?" They were basically intwined in the booth when the cultivated and highly irritated voice of Theodore Nott filtered through his hazy mind and he was instantly annoyed.

He reluctantly tore himself slightly from the magnificent woman in his arms to glare at his mate. "Theo." He couldn't stop the pronounced drawl in his voice even if he wanted to, and he most certainly didn't. "To what do we owe this unwelcome interruption?" He felt rather sober all of a sudden.

He sat down opposite them and stared greedily at Granger, who casually stayed in his arms and glowered at Theo. "Hello again Theodore." Her voice was like velvet but with an edge and a Granger sounding like that was to be feared in his personal opinion. She was the epitome of a lioness-predator and _not_ a damsel in distress. He couldn't for the life of him understand why Theo wasn't cowering away from her.

Theo got a dreamy look on his face and focused all of his attention solely on her, obviously misunderstanding her countenance. "Oh-my-Granger, I love it when you talk dirty to me." His grin was stretched from one ear to the other.

"Well Theodore,-" Her voice stayed velvety but her expression hardened slightly. "-seeing as I am rather busy doing Malfoy currently, what can I do for you?" He was now nuzzling her neck and sucking at it gently, biting her sensitive skin, he could feel her low purring in her throat but it couldn't be heard and it turned him on to no end. He didn't even care about Theo anymore as his hand slowly worked its way up her thigh towards her heated core.

"Oh no Granger-baby,-" Theo sweet-talked. "-it's all about what _I_ can do for _you_."

She sighed heavily and gave him an exasperated look. "You seem very confident in your abilities Theodore. Unfortunately for you however, I am utterly uninterested in what you are offering. But thank you none the less." She gave Theo a small nod and turned back to him while trying to stifle a moan when she could feel his fingers lightly caressing her quivering cunt through her soaked panties.

After she'd kissed him ever so softly on the lips she whispered for his ears only. "Mine or yours?"

He pulled back slightly and smirked at her answering hungry expression, how he wanted this witch. "Mine." His voice was husky with need.

When she stood up and held her hand out to him, Theo bristled. "I didn't come here just to get blown off." His voice was hard as flint. "Why don't you ditch blondie there and come home with me?" He had the audacity to suggest such a thing to her in front of him but Theo was obviously getting very aggravated at her blatant rejection.

Draco wasn't having it any longer. It might sound like a fucking pissing contest, and it sort of was, but Hermione had very clearly told him no and Theo wasn't listening, or he just didn't want to listen. "Mate, recognize a lost cause. This witch is mine, go find someone else." Without waiting for an answer, he tugged her towards the door to Diagon Alley.

On their way Hermione shivered and whimpered softly beside him and he was so curious about her. "Are you cold?" She shook her head. "Is anything wrong then?" She remained silent until they reached the small alley beside the bar where he could apparate them to his flat.

She leaned in close to him and whispered. "You going all alpha-male is a huge turn-on for me." She sounded breathy in anticipation. Never had he imagined Hermione Granger finding his arrogance and disdain towards others a turn-on. Now that he knew however, he was definitely going to use it. Being Slytherin and all.

It was as though her words unleashed something within him. A part of him that was there all along but he'd held it back because he didn't want to scare her away. Even before he'd realized that he wasn't letting her go if he could help it, then he still kept that part of him back.

Now though, he wasn't holding back anymore.

He pushed her front against the wall of the alley and held both her hands trapped in front of her body giving himself time to leisurely caress her spectacular body. He could hear her keen with pleasure deep in her throat as he wedged one leg between both of hers, rubbing her hot wet core. She moaned loudly into the darkness at the sudden friction.

Her head fell back on his shoulder, exposing her neck to him. He started attacking it immediately with kisses, sucks, bites and licks. With every pass over her most sensitive spots, her moaning increased as she let go with abandon and he relished having the strongest witch he knew turning to putty in his hands.

As he finally kissed her lush lips again deeply and languorously, he apparated them to directly into his bedroom.


	16. Pleasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're not old enough then really don't read this one. And if you don't like smut then don't read it either. Maybe if you skip to the very last section, but really, it's just all rather smutty. So… uhm, yeah… I hope you'll enjoy it!

She opened her eyes after the familiar sensation of side-along apparition had faded. She had heard him talk about his flat now and then but this room did _not_ showcase merely a flat. To him it might be modest but it wasn't and if he thought it was, then he was definitely lying to himself.

His bedroom was spacious and the size of both of her bedrooms put together at least. On one side he had an entire glass wall with balcony overlooking the beautiful London skyline. She gasped at how spectacular it was. He was standing behind her and hummed deliciously into her neck. "I take it you approve Granger?" His hands roamed her body unhurriedly and she ached for more. Her nod disappeared in the heat that was engulfing her. They had danced around each other for so long that she wasn't certain if she could be patient.

He walked her forward slowly and muttered an incantation she hadn't heard before. As soon as the words left his lips, the glass wall disappeared and opened the room up to the outside. She expected to be pelted by the cold autumn weather but it didn't reach her, she wondered which kind of magical barrier he had around the flat for about a second. That was, until he pushed her forward until she was up against the railing and a thrill went through her when she looked down. They were up very high and she could see people moving about their flats in the opposite buildings.

She tied to turn around but he wasn't about to let that happen. He held on to her hips with his hands and his own pelvis, nailing her to the railing. "Oh no, now that I finally have you right where I want you, you'll do as I say. Agreed?"

She couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her.

"I need your answer Granger." His voice was subtly commanding and the pleasure that spiked through her entire body was making her quake. His hands were dotting around the bottom edge of her skirt waiting for the word from her, obviously asking if he could proceed.

"Yes! Yes please!"

She could just imagine his sinful smirk as she heard a softly uttered "Excellent."

Instead of doing what she expected, which was to pull down her skirt and start his exploration of her in earnest, he pulled off her flimsy blouse saying darkly "This has been taunting me all day you know." He accioed two small bottles and gave one to her. "A sobering draught. I want us both sober for this." He trailed a single finger between her breasts and she gulped the potion quickly. The haze from her mind dissipated but the heat still engulfed her. She felt so exposed to the world outside the balcony but in such a good way. She felt so alive and sexy as he showered her with attention. She could definitely get used to feeling like this.

But then her brain and her doubts kicked in. What if someone saw them? Here exposed like this to the world What if the Daily Prophet got pictures of what they were about to do? What would Harry think? What would the Weasleys think? What if he didn't want her the same way that she wanted him?

"Hermione." She was startled and highly aroused by the way he used her first name. It was the first time she had ever heard her own name from his lips and it did strange and amazing things to her body. "Relax, stop overthinking this. I want you and I know you want me. Oh, and my balcony is warded, they can't see us or what we're doing. Let's just enjoy each other."

He didn't wait for her answer. He just stepped back and admired her form, almost hissing in appreciation. She could feel his eyes on her and it sent her blood scorching through her veins, making her forget about those doubts. Not for the first time that evening, did she praise her obsession with fancy underwear and personal hygiene. She knew deep in her bones, that when he finally got round to unwrapping her to her expensive lace lingerie, that he would very much approve.

She was leaning her lower body and arms against the rail of his balcony, her upper body was caressed by the slight breeze that entered the magical barrier Draco had around his balcony.

Her skin felt electric and overheated as she could feel his eyes on her. She was wearing a pencil skirt that came just above her knees, thigh-highs with garter belt, black pumps and her lace and royal blue brassiere and knickers. Her blouse was forgotten on the floor.

She peaked back at him as he took her in. He was a magnificent specimen of male perfection. Tall, blonde, wickedly handsome, dressed in black trousers, a light blue button-up shirt and a dark blue structured muggle suit jacket, all angles, muscles and _those grey eyes_. They resembled a darkened stormy night when regarding her this passionately.

"I accept." Her voice was breathy but right then and there, she decided to accept his proposition from France.

The jolt she felt deep within her when his eyes connected with hers was shocking, her need for him was overwhelming. "What do you accept Hermione?"

He was still standing two feet or so from her and she wanted to close that distance so badly. She utilized all of her willpower to stay put.

"You wanted to teach me a lesson."

He sucked in a breath hard, his eyes turned all but black and she could see him go rigid. She had never seen any man looking more glorious. "Are you absolutely sure about that Hermione?" It sounded like he spoke through gritted teeth.

She hesitated briefly.

She _was_ afraid but not afraid of him. She was afraid of being vulnerable to a man again. She was afraid of what opening this door between them meant. For the both of them. She liked him. She liked him _so much_. He made her skin crawl in that butterflies-in-stomach and clenched-thighs kind of way and seeing this part of him only made her like him even more. She wanted it so desperately that she could almost taste her own need as she bit her lower lip. She was soaked for him, she could feel her juices making their way down the inside of her thighs. It only served to heighten her already intense arousal.

"I'm sure." He was searching her face for the same confirmation. When she saw that tantalising smirk of his appear on his sculpted lips and a wicked expression entering his eyes, she knew he'd found what he was looking for.

He didn't move an inch but without warning, her pencil skirt vanished and she gasped at the sudden feeling of exposure. His eyed widened a fraction. "Hermione,-" He said quietly, he sounded almost pained. "-those _suspenders_."

Suddenly he was behind her, on his knees, dotting feather-light touches over her arse and thighs, diligently avoiding her aching sopping pussy.

"These very pretty knickers are in my way." He muttered to himself and they vanished as well. She couldn't speak but she did moan. Loudly. He had turned her into nothing but sensation and lust and he'd barely touched her yet.

When his hands, slightly calloused from playing Quidditch she supposed, palmed her arse, she groaned loudly and threw her head back.

One of his hands started wandering between her thighs towards… _towards…_ He broke into her lusty haze. "Hermione?"

"Y… yes?" She had to really focus to answer him clearly.

"Take one step back. Bend over. And spread your legs slightly. Then stay there." His slightly gruff voice held a command she hadn't quite heard before and she quivered at the sound. It wasn't that he would force her to stay there but she _wanted_ to stay in that position, for him. Because he asked.

She did as he bade and for a few very long seconds, he just left her standing there bereft of his touch. Exposed to him completely. Except for those few articles of clothing she still wore, though they covered absolutely nothing. He was watching the very core of her intensely on his knees behind her.

"So wet for me." It was almost a whisper but she caught it and it made her whimper with need.

He then stood up and placed his body tightly against her back. He was still fully dressed and the cloth against her skin only intensified her ache. And then he undulated cloth-covered his hips against her.

It was unbearable.

It was too much.

And it wasn't nearly enough.

His low dark voice right by her ear filtered through her lustful haze. "Just so you know, I'm going to make you scream. That will be your lesson. For today at least." It was an arrogant statement full of dark promises and instead of being appalled by his presumptuousness, she was endlessly intrigued and ridiculously turned on. She trembled visibly from just these few ministrations. When he chuckled darkly and rolled his hips again it made her see sparks in front of her eyes. She could feel his very prominent trouser-covered erection boring into the soft moistened flesh below her arse and the feeling was glorious.

He stood back again, surveying her deliberately with those unfathomable eyes as he removed his jacket slowly. She was observing him over her shoulder, her hair cascading loosely over her back. Without breaking their eye contact, he started unbuttoning his shirt one tantalizing button after another.

Her brassiere vanished without him uttering a single word or moving an inch and she inhaled as a sharp gust of autumn wind suddenly swirled briefly around her, making her shiver but setting her already overheated skin on fire. The peaks of her breast stood, longing for attention and the sudden cold air against her inflamed and moist folds made her impatient for him.

He fell to his knees again behind her and she shouted into the night when his tongue first made contact with her. In her bent-over position, she was at his mercy and he was showing her none. He was eating her pussy as though his life depended on it.

He licked, sucked and nipped at her clit and she was reduced to a moaning and whimpering mess, shouting his name into the night every single time he nipped her clit. He alternated his pace again and again.

He started out so slowly, licking her with long broad strokes from her clit almost to her puckered arsehole. It only made her moan louder as he did it over and over, drawing out her pleasure. Then it changed to short nips that burned in an oh-so-good-way intermingled with wet quick licks, then a quick soft bite just over her clit which almost made her scream, then back to slow licks and sucking.

She was so close and so completely lost to his spectacular ministrations and she never wanted it to end.

Without warning, he thrust his tongue as deep inside her pussy as possible and started fucking her just with his tongue while circling her clit leisurely with the knuckle of one of his fingers, her knees almost buckled purely from the pleasure of it. He took her right to the precipice of her orgasm twice and then pulled back slightly.

As he resumed the long, wet licking strokes of her, he came closer each time to her puckered hole, until she felt a cleaning spell and he ended his final lick there and didn't stop. He lavished attention on her arse, kneading and licking slow and quick flicks while the other of his hands kept its attention firmly on her now dripping cunt. He had at least two fingers deep inside her and one was still massaging her clit with firm deliberate strokes.

Her shock at his underhanded move paled in comparison to the pleasure. She didn't even think to protest what he was doing because it felt magnificent. She practically mewled from the electric flashes he sparked within her. He wound her so tight she thought she might explode when he would finally let her come.

She couldn't believe that he had made her last this long without coming yet, she wanted it so badly from him but he was purposefully holding her back.

Her grunt of frustration made him chuckle against her and the feeling was amazing, he'd barely lifted his head. "Do you want to come Hermione?" He asked, sounding as arrogant as ever but the sound of his voice made her quake.

"Oh gods, yes!"

"Then scream for me." His somewhat muffled voice carried clearly to her and she could feel him working her body to her peak within seconds. He changed the angle of his fingers inside her and massaged her g-spot in perfect sync with her clit.

She did scream.

Loudly.

She screamed his name as her orgasm thundered through her. She screamed as loud as her lungs would allow into the night, uncaring of anyone else but them. Her knees buckled from the force of her pleasure but he held her upright and lapped eagerly at her core through the longest and most intense orgasm of her life.

* * *

There was nothing more important right now than this. _Than her_.

Than hearing her screaming his given name into the darkened night air from the top of her lungs as she shuddered and clenched around his hand and he was still fully clothed.

Seeing her, literally the woman of his many recent wet dreams, screaming with pleasure from his ministrations and wearing nothing but heels, thigh-highs and those fucking _fantastic_ suspenders.

When he'd vanished that pencil skirt of hers, it had taken absolutely every ounce of his concentration to not come in his pants at the mere sight her before him like that. He'd supressed an audible groan at the vision she was. She was nothing less than a goddess to be revered and worshipped like the stunning deity she was. Her body was all softness and curves and he couldn't help himself, he went to his knees for her, for her pleasure. Something he usually never did.

He held her upright as the aftershocks lanced through her forcefully and she moaned and whimpered in his arms. He had never heard anything more sensual or as bloody marvellous. Every single one of his touches caused this witch to sigh, to inhale sharply, to whimper, to scream and even to fucking _mewl_.

Her breathing was laboured and intermingled with giggles and she sank down exhausted to sit on his lap. She curled into him as though they'd done this every day of their lives. "That was… It was…" She was breathless and her eyes very droopy but her smile was blinding. "I've never come that hard in my life Draco." She panted. "I know it strokes your ego and all but that was just _amazing_."

He couldn't stop the devilish grin forming on his face. He leaned in and lightly sucked on her earlobe. "Well, then I take it's a good thing that we're only just getting started." He whispered and she snapped her eyes to his, lust swirling again in those beautiful chocolate orbs.

He helped her up before standing himself and pulled her into an earth-shaking kiss. It wasn't a battle, it wasn't very long or deep but it did change something more within him. Seeing her like this, post-bliss, ruffled and glowing, she looked every bit the goddess he thought her to be.

He took her hand and led her to his bathroom. "Seeing as I've made you all mussed up, maybe I could assist with your cleansing as well?" She nodded eagerly and then she gave him a scheming smirk that rivalled his own. Right in that moment he just _knew_ that she'd give as good as she got and goddammit, he couldn't bloody wait for it.

Luckily he didn't have to wait long. She seemed eager to repay him for her mind-shattering orgasm because she pushed him to sit on the one upholstered chair in his bathroom and undressed him slowly, leaving just his trousers on. Her eyes roved over his body hungrily. The eagerness in her eyes made his hips jerk forward involuntarily. She smirked at him again and said one word. "Stay." Before she turned around and bent forward right in front of him. He almost came at the sight again.

His cock was so hard that it was almost painful. His steel bulge strained again the fabric of his trousers and he longed for her to release him.

She gave him a coy look over her shoulder, divested herself of her pumps before sultrily turning around and placing one foot up on his thigh. She kept eye contact with him as she, painfully slowly, unhooked those sexy suspenders one by one.

Had this sexy-as-fuck vixen always been in her? Or did he bring that out in her? He sort of hoped it was the latter because then he didn't have to smack himself hard for not realizing it and making a move on her years ago. Also, he loathed the idea of weasel-king seeing her just like this. He loathed the idea of any man but him seeing her like this.

She narrowed her eyes at him and gave him an absolutely sinful smirk as invisible restraints wrapped themselves around his body and bound him tightly to the chair.

"Well, now you're just showing off." He said and almost chuckled but the restraints wouldn't let him, it just came out as a gust of air and the light was dancing in her sparkling eyes.

"You made me scream Draco, it's only fair that I repay you for your generosity." Her voice had a sexy dark quality to it that made him squirm happily in his seat.

She was standing in front of him in all of her naked glory and he relished the sight before him. A perfect hour-glass figure with toned muscles throughout her lithe body. It was plain to see that she was in perfect control of each and every one of those muscles.

She vanished all of his clothes with a snap of her fingers, he thought she did that to echo those house elves she knew and the sudden exposure of him made her eyes widen when she took in his full form.

His lean toned body, the scars criss-crossing on his chest from Potter's spell in sixth year, strong arms and legs and his cock was standing erect, throbbing with searing heat, bobbing to get her full attention and the pre-cum already leaking out of the rosy tip. She licked her lips before she bit down on her full wet bottom lip and a damn well nearly lost it right then and there, the sight of her was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen.

"Oh dear, you're all sticky already Draco." She fell to her knees between his legs and kissed the tip of his cock once with those soft plush lips. He hissed. She hummed quietly as she kissed his chest, his stomach, down his length and ended at his sac and the vibrations turned him on to no end.

"Please… Oh _fuck_!" He groaned as her hot wet mouth took him slowly all in until he hit the back of her throat. He could feel her tongue swirling around the head of his cock eagerly and her hands were cupping his balls and rolling them gently, he groaned, the feeling was incredible. She started sucking him off fervently, bobbing up and down the length of his aching cock for so long, he was lost in the pleasurable torture she was providing him.

Until she pushed a soft spot beneath his balls, his prostate, and he saw fucking stars before his eyes!

He moaned and grunted from the undiluted pleasure but she didn't relent her continued assault on his senses. She continued pushing that spectacular spot with her fingers and he could feel his balls tighten dangerously.

He decided to try again. "Hermione, _please_ …" He grunted again, trying desperately to stop himself from coming too soon.

She hummed happily with him deep in her throat and the vibrations shot straight to his already tight balls. "Hmm… I love it when you beg for me Draco. You make me so very wet for you."

He groaned urgently. And he couldn't fucking move. He was desperate to touch her, to move, he wanted to move so badly that he wanted to scream. Her incredible ministrations didn't stop though. She deep throated him endlessly with every surge forwards and he'd never seen or felt anything sexier.

The pressure on his prostate continued as she worked him into a frenzied ball of tightly coiled lust and abruptly it was all too much. He came in a shout of many different oaths as he spurted his hot seed down the throat of the beautiful vixen on her knees before him. She swallowed every single drop with smiling eyes as he convulsed again and again in her tight moist mouth.

He slumped in the chair, spent and sated for now. She smacked her lips, wiped the edges with a flourish and gave him that blinding smile. His restraints disappeared and she straddled his legs and rubbed her fresh juices all over his semi-hard cock. "You taste absolutely _delicious_ Draco." She gave him a slow deep kiss, drawing it out and teasing him with small licks and nips on his lips.

He chuckled and tightened his arms around her. "Such a greedy witch,-" He caressed her cheek and gave her a quick kiss. "-and you forgot about our shower."

"No I didn't, I still need to you clean me up. And now I can clean you too." She winked at him with a crooked smile. The hungry way her eyes were raking over him made his loins spring to life, ready to please her all over again, however she would desire.

She pulled him with her to the large shower at the far end of the bathroom with a mischievous grin and sparkles in her eyes. She was breathtakingly beautiful and she was all his. Well, she might not exactly be all his yet but he would do his damnedest to keep her, that was for damn sure.

* * *

She didn't know how he would react to her forwardness, she'd never behaved like this before. She had taken charge of hers and Ron's sexual encounters but even then, they weren't all that interesting and the one night stands she had since had also left a lot to be desired.

Draco only left her wanting more of him. She had pushed aside all of her body insecurities and exposed herself completely to his hungry gaze and she had felt so empowered by his obvious lust. Sucking him off had, for the very first time in her life, been an incredibly erotic experience and hearing his moans of unadulterated pleasure had made her already intense arousal increase even further.

She pulled him into the gigantic shower and with a wave of his hand, the water started running. There were six large showerheads embedded in the ceiling and it felt like a light warm drizzle of rainfall and she couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled up her throat. The feeling was wonderful and she twirled around briefly with her arms outstretched until she was encased by two pale strong arms.

He started lathering her body leisurely with as much soap as he could have in his hands. Every single inch of her body was treated with reverence and care and everywhere he touched, the electricity within her seemed to thrum to an ever-higher pitch. He paid particular attention to washing and rinsing her hair, which surprisingly was an incredibly sensuous experience. Then he moved slowly down her body, spending a large amount of time on her back, arse and breasts, kneading, lathering and pinching in equal measure. He soon had her writhing and moaning again in his capable hands. He ignored her soaking slit completely, much to her consternation, as he continued his detailed ministrations down her legs.

He was so absorbed in his task that he didn't look at her properly even once, only his rock-hard length pulsing into her when he came close enough and the odd twitch to his facial expression gave him away. She had deduced quickly that he was very much into her being vocal about her pleasure and she found it surprisingly natural with him. She'd never pegged herself as a screamer before but he just rubbed her the perfect way. Pun very much intended.

He slowly worked his way up her legs ending at her inner thighs and the feeling was delicious. She thrust her pelvis into his hands absolutely begging for him to touch her only to be met by a wickedly sinful chuckle. "Eager perhaps?"

"Please Draco." She breathed and when her hands moved towards her core of their own volition, he batted them away with another chuckle.

"Oh no my lady, keep those interfering hands above your head. Use your words and tell me what you want." She could feel the gentle sticking charm that stuck her hands to the wall and she arched one brow down at him. He just winked at her with a wickedly sexy expression that heated her to her very core.

She was stumped. Absolutely blank. Tell him? As in, _vocalize_ what she wanted him to do to her? She'd never done anything of the sort. She'd given hints and moved hands before but that was about it. She could already feel the blush entering her cheeks and reasoned that she should try to get around it.

"Touch me, please."

"But Hermione, where do you want me to touch you?"

She peaked at him and he was looking straight at her, his molten silver eyes dancing with feigned innocence, mirth and lust intermingled. His hands were tracing maddening circles on her thighs and she huffed in frustration. He was actually making her _say_ it. She pulled together all of her bravery and directed what she hoped was a hot and lustful stare at him.

"Please touch my aching pussy Draco."

His eyes widened momentarily and he gulped slowly before he pulled himself together and smirked at her. He stood up in all his naked glory, slick and flushed from the water gushing down on them and bowed slightly with that mysterious smile still on his beautiful lips. "As the lady wishes."

He moved her so her back was against the tiled wall and whispered low in her ear. "Do you see what you do to me?" She gaped at his wicked words but he wasted no more time and started lavishing her core with all the attention she had been craving. His hands seemed to form a single unit as they slipped easily through her slick folds, exploring her and overwhelming her senses when his mouth latched onto her neck. Her moans reverberated loudly around the tiled bathroom.

She trembled and briefly wondered how long her legs would hold her up when he suddenly lifted her up against the tiles, sticking charm long forgotten, and kissed her deeply. He undulated his hips and the friction made her shudder which only made her tighten her legs around him. She could feel him poised at her entrance, his head nudging her gently and she absolutely _craved_ him inside her. The need was reaching a fever pitch deep in her and she did the one thing she wanted, she pulled at him with both legs, forcing him in her.

Her walls fluttered with the feeling of his thick hard length inside her and he shuddered and groaned loudly into her throat. " _Fuck_ Hermione, you are _so_ tight."

She could see his jaw clench and unclench as he tried to school his reaction. He took a deep breath and inch by inch did his impressive cock move deeper within her until he was fully sheathed to the hilt. She had never in her life felt _this full_. He fit her like a perfect puzzle piece and he gave them both a brief moment to acclimate to the other before he started to move.

He pulled almost fully out before plunging completely back into her. Her body struggled to accommodate his spectacular cock but soon he was fully enveloped over and over in her tight slick heat.

Her breath hitched. "Oh gods Draco." She moaned with complete abandon. She wasn't capable of a single cohesive thought other than more, more, _more_. And he obliged her silent (or maybe very vocal, she wasn't all that sure about that really), request with fierce determination.

He started out slowly but soon, encouraged by her moans of absolute delight, his pace increased and she relished the friction. She clawed at his back and raked her nails through his hair, pulling his head this way and that and he just let her, completely lost to anything but stoking the heat blazing between them.

She was getting impatient with his impeccable restraint. "Please Draco, don't hold back." It might have come out raspingly but she needed him badly. She needed this between them and she wanted it hot, fast and bloody fucking loud. His eyes widened and his breath hitched audibly before a determined expression settled on his handsome features and he complied eagerly as he attacked her neck with vigour.

When he adjusted the angle and thrust into her more forcefully, she chanted his name over and over like a prayer. It made her toes curl when she clenched down on him every time he entered her. He groaned and panted in sync with her own cries. Every single thrust stoked that elusive spot inside her and when she ground herself against him when he hit home, her clit was stimulated as well. She arched her back off the wall in pure ecstasy, yearning for that feeling of absolute bliss to tear through her every limb. And she knew it would, she could already feel those coils in the pit of her stomach tightening dangerously.

He captured her swollen lips in a searing kiss, tangling their tongues expertly and making her mad with another swell of scorching desire for him. He walls were fluttering around him as she could feel her peak approaching, making him grit his teeth in concentration.

She was shouting and moaning with loud abandonment, thrashing her head from side to side before she was whimpering and trembling. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she suddenly shook violently in his iron grasp as the waves of the passionate orgasm crashed brutally over her. Her mouth was open in a silent scream, making every single muscle in her body tense from the force of it.

It was bliss.

It was so pure.

It was just perfect.

Distantly did she recognize that he came just a few seconds after her with deep guttural sounds, it made her feel oddly possessive of him. These noises were for her alone. No one else.

With both of them panting harshly from the exertion, their hearts beating a frantic tattoo, they sunk to the floor in a tangle of limbs with ridiculously happy grins on their faces.

He kissed her gently in the aftermath of the most intense and amazing sexual experience she'd ever had. Her entire body felt like jelly and she was too tired to move from his lap where she was cradled. She felt so… safe.

After a while of soft kissing and tired smiles to each other, they got up shakily and rinsed each other off. He grinned like a madman as they dried off when she realized just how many love bites he had dotted all over her upper body. She just rolled her eyes at him and tried to look put out but it didn't have any effect on him whatsoever.

A molten greedy expression flashed briefly across his face and he pulled her towards him, kissing her softly before whispering on her lips. "Mine." She pulled back to peer at him in earnest, trying to blink the need to sleep away, she wanted to know what that meant but he had already turned away to tug her towards his massive bed.

It felt so natural to cuddle up with him under the covers in the softest bed imaginable. They were both tired and sated and before she could remember what she wanted to ask him, they both drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm always a bit nervous about the smutty ones and this is barely anything but, so please leave a little review for me and let me know what you think!  
> It's eleven pages long in Word, way too much or not nearly enough? :-D


	17. The parents

They made breakfast together. It felt nice. Natural even. He fried the eggs, bacon, tomatoes, black puddings, mushrooms and sausages while she cooked the beans and pressed oranges for their juice. The toast and hash browns were in the oven. To her it was a very over the top breakfast for a normal morning, she would have just grabbed something but he insisted on a proper breakfast after their rigorous night-time workout. She couldn't hide her smile at that.

He was only wearing boxers, his magnificent body on full display for her and she loved watching him move. Every subtle ripple of his muscles were entrancing. She was deliciously sore between her legs and other places as well. She was sure that she'd have a lot of love bites and would have to use ample glamours but peering at his neck she snickered. He would need a few glamours himself.

"What are you laughing at, Hermione?" He narrowed his eyes at her but he was smiling and she just grinned at him.

"Oh, nothing a few glamours can't hide." He looked appalled for about a second before grinning himself.

His eyes had a predatory gleam and he started stalking her around his kitchen island. "You better watch out or I'll give you more."

She yelped as he suddenly lunged for her and started attacking her neck with his mouth, pulling up the quidditch shirt of his she was wearing and pinching her nipples deliciously. She moaned and bit her lip in anticipation. He lifted and placed her on the island without releasing his firm hold on her neck. She could already feel that coil tightening again, he did that to her by doing so little.

"You know,-" He said casually. "-I had a fantasy about you just like this, all sexed up and wearing my jersey. You look fucking hot my lady."

He stepped back and grabbed his wand, putting a wordless stasis charm on all of the food they were preparing without taking his darkened eyes from her. "Touch yourself for me." She shivered, that subtle command was there in his voice again and it was the sexiest thing she had ever heard.

Ever so slowly did she spread her legs for him. She used the bar stools as leverage and equally slowly lifted up the oversized jersey, keeping it on but fully displayed her overheated wet core to his view. He groaned and his hands moved to his hardened cock seemingly of their own accord.

She started to move her hands languorously up her thighs, enjoying this much more than she'd ever enjoyed touching herself before. "Tell me Draco, what did I do in your fantasy?" He voice was quiet and husky.

He shivered and groaned again. "You sat like that, legs spread and opened just for me in my quidditch jersey, looking at me like you wanted me to claim you. Fuck!" His cock seemed to have life of its own, he was so close. "Just like you're looking at me right now."

Her hands had reached their destination and she slowly moved her fingers through her dripping folds. "And when did this fantasy pop into your head?"

He was looking transfixed at her, undoubtedly loving their wickedly sexy conversation as much as she did as they each rubbed themselves off to the other person before them. "That morning before the fight. You were only wearing Potter's jersey and you looked fucking sexy as hell. It was a fight for me not to take you right then and there."

"And is it a fight for you right now? To not claim me again right this instant?" As she spoke, with one hand she started fucking herself with two fingers and with the other she circled her clit and her soaking folds. He groaned loudly, pumping up and down his shaft completely mesmerized by her.

"Gods yes!" He nearly shouted and she moaned.

She had never had this kind of sexual confidence with anyone before but he gave it to her by just being himself. The way he treated her, so possessively and yet with such care. She loved every second of it.

She decided to try something. "Well, you _can_ fuck me." He started to move towards her but she shook her head. "But not before I come. You get to stand there, only watching me coming for you, to thoughts of you and you can't come. Do you understand?"

His hand on his cock stilled and his growl was loud and reverberated around the large room. She savoured the power it gave her, pumping her fingers in and out of herself more furiously. "I want you to touch yourself Draco. But remember, you can't come. You make me so wet when you're touching yourself to thoughts of me."

He was visibly fighting himself to not go to her and she relished the feeling. She could easily see the clear pre-come liquid leaking out of his straining cock and she wanted it as deep within her as only Draco could. She rubbed herself faster, loving the vision he was before her.

She was so close to her peak and the intensity of his eyes were almost burning her from within.

That was it.

She imploded and burned up at the same time, arching her back off the kitchen island and shouting his name. His eyes widened and she could see him almost panting for her.

* * *

She was fucking his!

 _His_ goddess of a sexy as fuck vixen!

He would never fucking share her with anyone and just… Fuck! Seeing her on his kitchen island in his quidditch jersey finger-fucking herself was fucking spectacular! Hearing her give him orders, just… FUCK! His brain and tightened balls were battling hard with the strain to release his seed, he felt those shivers down his spine again and again and he just couldn't fucking come until she told him that he could!

Post-orgasm and sexy as fuck, she beckoned him to her. He would later swear that he actually flew there. Within the next second he was in her, growling and moaning with complete abandon, sweat dotting his entire body from the strain of _not_ coming.

 _Finally_ he was inside her.

Where he belonged.

She was laying on the counter mewling at the feeling of him inside her and he waisted no more time. He thrust as deep as he could, prolonging her bliss and with every stroke, her inner walls were already milking him, waiting for him to come. The noises she made were the hottest he'd ever heard and he savoured each and every one of them.

Without warning, she clamped down on him and started chanting his name. He came so abrupt that he had to fight to stay upright, grunting and growling above her as she writhed on his island. This witch would either be the making of him or the death of him. Either way, he knew that he'd do anything for her.

He almost fell on top of her as he panted, trying desperately to catch his breath and he could feel her chest heaving as well.

She lifted her head and gave him a tired but wicked smile. "Was that okay?"

His laugh came out in a short burst. "That was bloody amazing, you can do that any day of the week if you want." His voice sounded rather worn out to his own ears.

She laughed. How he loved that sound.

* * *

They missed breakfast all together as they both had to be at work but Draco didn't mind at all. Due to their morning exploits he was in a bit of a daze and even smiled at his colleagues before entering his office. The shock on their faces made him grin even wider.

Fucking random witches had now been thoroughly ruined by the former bane of his existence. He couldn't count how many times he'd wanked to the idea of putting Hermione Granger 'in her proper place' during his adolescence, as in having her screaming and shattering with pleasure around his pulsing cock. Every time he'd come to that particular fantasy in his teens, he'd felt so ashamed afterwards as if he'd done something disastrously wrong. He'd then made up for it in spades, mocking her and her friends as much as possible to cover for his obvious sexual attraction to her.

As they had grown up, he had sort of grown out of his own immaturity until _that day_ in the drawing room. That was the day that his feelings about her had changed. He didn't want to see her hurt. He didn't want to see her in pain like that. Their vitriolic banter at school, he'd realized with a start, was nothing more than childs play and the hate that he'd once thought he'd had towards her vanished like clouds before the burning sun.

His mother knew. His mother had always known his true feelings. She had always know that he wasn't really ready for all of the things being a Death Eater brought with it.

Besides Hermione, she was the cleverest witch he knew and she knew him so well, she could see right through him. So she knew all about the guilt tearing through him during that horrifying torture inflicted on her by his deranged aunt.

He shook his head to bring himself back to the present, trying not to dwell on that clenching guilt. They had a lot to do today and not much time to do it in.

First and foremost they had to deal with the witless couple down in the holding cells and then they had to follow up on all of their leads.

The first thing he did every morning was to check his wards and for once they showed that someone had been in his office. He knew that whoever it was would have been bounced from his office immediately but that was odd, no one ever came into his office but him or other people when he was in there. They must have wanted some information badly. He suddenly became very excited, this must have been the mole! Undfortunately he couldn't identify who it was and it frustrated him to no end but he sent a quick memo to Hermione, eager to share the new development. He knew that she had that handy ward where you could get the name of the person.

After ten minutes she was at his door, grinning from ear to ear and talking very fast. "I think they know that I know who enters my office but they wouldn't know about me placing that particular ward on your office, that's brilliant Draco!"

He just smirked and went to greet her properly. "I know. I am _very_ brilliant you know." She was right there now, right in front of him, smiling at him and oh so beautiful. He couldn't stop himself so he leaned in to kiss his witch. It was supposed to be a chaste sweet kiss but when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer it turned to something much deeper, hotter and infinitely more satisfying.

"I've missed you." She whispered between kisses.

He tisked. "You only left my flat an hour ago."

"I know." She sighed and kissed him again.

"You're insatiable. What am I going to do with you?" She just grinned at him and kissed him over and over.

A beautiful stag patronus entered his office and cut off their greeting. It spoke in the head auror's voice. "Hermione, come quick, Charlie's gone down to see him, this could jeopardize the case!"

Her heart dropped into her stomach and the happiness she'd just felt evaporated. She had a horrible sinking feeling about this day. "Oh no, Charlie's going down to talk to Ron, we have to stop him! Come on!" She pulled him along, slamming the door behind them as she hurdled them both through the corridors of the ministry towards the holding cells on the lower levels. He really was rather put out about that, Malfoy's do not run or hurdle, they _hasten_. But she just laughed at him when he told her that.

When they arrived, Charlie was screaming himself hoarse at an irate Ron with Harry was trying to separate the two. "What the hell are you thinking Ron?! I was going to make it right! To get you back on the good side of our family! You are supposed to be better than this! You bloody well _are_ better than this! How could you?!"

Ron's face was screwed up in anger. "Oh you think you're so much better than me, don't you?! You're all fucking high and mighty about your beloved fucking dragons! Well fuck them and fuck you! I am bloody well someone! I am goddamn important to my friends, alright?!"

"Oh yes Ron,-" Charlie sneered scathingly. "-you are just the _best_ , aren't you?!"

Before Charlie could get another word in, Hermione silenced the lot of them, including Harry. "You two,-" She pointed at Charlie and the struggling Harry holding him back. "-out, now!" Charlie gave her a mulish look but she just pointed at the door again and Harry pulled the fiery redhead forcefully outside.

She turned back to Ron who was probably screaming bloody murder at her, she just couldn't hear it. "Now Ron, I am not here to question you. So, when you're ready to _not_ scream at me then please let me know, I have something very important to tell you."

She sat down, arms crossed and just glared at him, waiting rather impatiently. He paced for a few minutes, opening his mouth and trying to yell at her but she just lifted a brow at him. Finally, after ten minutes, he sat down and nodded.

"Will you listen now?"

He rolled his eyes and nodded again.

"Fine." She removed the silencing spell. "Your family has been contacted and your parents are on their way. With them here you can decide if you want to hire an attorney or if you would prefer them to act as your counsel. The same has been done for Lavender."

He looked defiant and stubborn. "Is she talking?"

She merely crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed that there was obviously more to this story than he'd told them yesterday. "I am not at liberty to say." Her tone was frosty to say the least. She got up and left him alone with his thoughts.

Outside wasn't much better however, because Draco and Harry were trying to calm down a furious Charlie who was repeatedly reaching for the door of Ron's holding cell.

She marched straight at the red-head. "Charlie, will you calm down?!" His eyes were wide and all over the place and his focus was solely on his brother and the door, so she slapped him hard on the cheek and finally he snapped out of it.

"What?" Charlies eyes were bloodshot and he looked so frustrated that she wanted to hug him but she knew that wasn't what he needed, he needed to calm down away from there. Away from Ron.

She just pointed towards the lifts. "Go with Harry, alright? Just go please. You cannot act like that towards him during a case." When Charlie and Harry walked away Hermione started slid to the floor, completely emotionally drained.

Draco pushed both of his hands through his hair, pacing in front of her. He squatted before her and tried to get her attention. "For fucks sake Hermione, pull yourself together. I know this is a tough case and that it gets under your skin but we don't have time for this. We have a shitload of case-relevant information to sort through and we don't have time for you to go all comatose on me now."

She didn't react. She heard him well enough but she didn't react, she couldn't. It was just too bloody hard. Everything had just gone completely sideways from their wonderful morning.

He kneeled down in front of her and took her face gently in his hands, trying a different approach with her and showing that elusive sweet side to him. "Hermione Granger. Please get up. I'm here for you. Potter is here for you too and we'll get through this case together. We will catch whoever is behind this and we'll ensure that their sentence is as harsh as possible. But for that to happen, I need you to get up and get back to work."

She nodded, knowing that he was right. So she got up with renewed determination. He knew just what to say to start that fire within her. He gave her a quick kiss. "Are you ready for this? Because we need to speak to the weasel's parents? Brown's parents have arrived as well and they all need to be briefed before seeing their children." She nodded again when he gave her a piercing look, as if daring her to refuse.

She couldn't help but smile at him and she gave him a hug. "Yes. I'm ready for this. Thank you." She kissed him again before taking a deep breath and walking with him towards the two sets of parents waiting impatiently in the atrium.

* * *

She was pacing her little ugly office-space impatiently. The grey walls were closing in, she could feel it even though she didn't have evidence yet. But she needed proof before she closed up shop. It was too good a business for her to just stop it all. Her cousin could get proper information from the ministry either way and she needed that. She needed to know how close they were to figuring it all out.

Maybe it was a mistake releasing the Horntail but they fucking deserved it! The ministry-bees, they were buzzing around and getting in everybody's business but still they didn't take care of their own.

She passed the small mirror hanging on the back wall and winced. The scars. They were still there, after so many years. Her eyes narrowed and she could feel her temper rising. She'd lost every last thing when the golden trio and the bloody order won the war. It was better before, when they had money a great known name and prestige. When her family didn't have to cower from the winners of the war.

She didn't want to bow and scrape. She wasn't made like that. She might not be Sacred Twenty-Eight but she was as good as and she wanted what she deserved. And she just knew that she deserved the world. This dragon-scheme was entirely her baby, her invention and it was a blazing success. Whatever her minions might say, it was hers, all hers. No one else had the brains to come up with something like this and run it so long in the shadows, right under the nose of the ministry. They even had some of their workers as regulars. No one else could do what she'd done. Create what she'd created.

She would never bow to anyone, she would never scrape to anyone.

And least of all, to fucking incompetent ministry-lackeys.

* * *

In a flurry of flying red hair the Weasleys had most certainly arrived. They insisted that he call them Molly and Arthur when they introduced themselves to him. He'd met them before but only with his father and then they'd never been this nice. They were very exuberant people, the Weasley parents. They both hugged him and briefly told him that they didn't hold the fact that he was Lucius Malfoy's son against him and that they'd heard so many good things about him from Charlie and Harry. He was rather surprised to hear that.

The Browns just flew by them after the short briefing Hermione gave the four parents, following Terry Boot towards their precious Lav-love, their words, definitely _not_ his. He would need to brief the three Browns on his expected recommendations to the Wizengamot later.

When the Weasleys were told of why specifically Weasley was there, they went rather silent. Arthur was white as a sheet and Molly was curiously silent. Hermione had tried to explain it at gently as possible but they had agreed to not sugar-coat the truth and the severity of the charges.

"But why would he do something like that?" Arthur seemed shocked and disbelieving. "How would he even come by it?"

"They were approached by someone known as Jack Flame at a Chudley Cannons game, we've tried to convince them to hand over memories of the initial approach and the previous fights but they won't. Will you please assist us with this? We aren't interested in bringing down Ron and Lavender, we know they're just pawns in a huge game, but we need anything and everything to catch the ones behind it. Every little bit will help." Hermione pleaded with the Weasleys.

He was certain that he knew why they didn't want to hand over those memories. They would probably be littered with more infractions to charge against them.

He then went on to explain his intended recommendations to the Wizengamot regarding Weasley's trial and how he could help both himself and Lavender get reduced sentences. He also explained that Potter were fully in the loop of the case and that it was very difficult for the three of them to reach Weasley and get him to talk rather than yell.

The yelling-part _was_ getting somewhat tiresome. It just wasn't his style. He usually walked away from shite like this. And listening this much to the worst of the Weasley-bunch was definitely the stuff of night-terrors in his book.

But he had to give it to the red menace's enthusiastic mother, she knew how to deal with their son. It took her most of the day, sure, but she did get the weasel-king to really talk, _finally_.

Molly had spent the best part of an hour berating her son for any number of things, some they knew about and some were very much unknown and absolutely hilarious and made the red roach blanch. At first he had stubbornly refused to say anything to anyone but she wasn't someone to dismiss easily. She pounded her son with argument after argument intermingled with vague and not-so-vague threats of housework and no food and sure enough, at the end of the day they had a full statement along with several memories from him.

Arthur gave absolutely no indication that he supported his son if he chose not to cooperate. If he had truly done what he had been arrested for, then he deserved the sentence that the Wizengamot gave him and he should assist as much as he could to reduce his sentence. But if he insisted that he hadn't done anything, then he ought to hand over any and all evidence to support that claim.

This was much more than what they got from Brown next door. She basically sobbed in the arms of her parents most of the day and all further questioning of her was postponed until the following day.

Their day had been draining, Hermione especially was exhausted and she needed to sleep properly and not their kind of sleep, so as much as it pained him, they agreed in between lingering kisses to sleep separately with the added agreement that he would pick her up from her flat the next morning.

They still had so much work to do but at eleven thirty at night he staggered into bed, tired and worn out. Potter had given them a hastily compiled report from the muggles regarding fires in London and they'd followed up on some of their leads after their quick take out dinner in Potter's office. The next day they were going into muggle London to see some of the places where fires had taken place and to scan for magic, that would be an interesting experience. He hadn't been that many places in the muggle world and he actually found himself looking forward to it.

* * *

_She knew she was dreaming._

_Again._

_She hated this dream._

_It was the same drawing room and she was on the floor._

_She tensed._

_She knew what was coming._

_But it was different this time._

_She wasn't on the floor._

_Sort of._

_Well, she was and she wasn't._

_She could see everything in the room around her._

_Every reaction and sneer._

_The torture began._

_The screaming and begging began._

_But she noticed something different this time._

_Lucius sneered at her screams with haughty scoffs._

_That wasn't different._

_But Draco looked pained._

_His mother looked pained._

_She saw the tip of a wand appear between them._

_No lips moved._

_No incantation was spoken._

_But her body eased and the pressure on her mind faded swiftly._

* * *

She woke up in a gasp. They had helped her.

She'd seen it, she was sure of it.

But which one of them? And was it really real or nothing more than a dream?


	18. Reaching the Galleons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless plug-alert!  
> I've just started posting a new fic: Excessive situations!   
> A fluffy-smutty-drama fic featuring Theo and Neville with a side of adorable Dramione. Its a companion fic to Drastic measures, check it out :-)  
> HBSJ

Hermione had woken from her dream. It haunted her. Had Draco or his mother actually helped her then? Was that why she hadn't gone insane from Bellatrix's vicious torture?

She tried to think back to that horrible day, trying not to banish the memory from her mind as she usually did. She remembered a moment, a single moment where she was almost there, she could feel the safe bliss of her own locking-up mind calling to her, beckoning her in, to close off from the cruel world outside. To guard their secrets. Bellatrix Lestrange wasn't to know, she could never know that it was the real Sword of Gryffindor in her bag. They needed it to end Voldemort.

Relief.

Suddenly relief had flooded through her even through the torture and her pain eased.

They _had_ helped her.

She wanted to speak to Draco about it but it was four in the morning and he was probably sound asleep now.

So she got herself a cup of coffee, went into her dining room and pulled out her heavy load of case files.

What was it, that thing she was missing? She went through their interview with Mundungus again. He'd mentioned a port in London so she pulled out a large map of London, placed it on the floor and circled the small port with a red pen. It was essentially just a small landing dock in a muggle industrial area.

She looked over her notes from the fight, they had been in a concrete building, it had seemed industrial and she knew it was very big but she hadn't been able to get some true leads regarding the building. In the industrial area by the dock there was a large company that had gas works and sewage treatment beside a mall of some sort.

The area was massive and there were huge buildings. In the middle of the company's areas, there was a business park and a shopping park too.

She froze.

That name!

The name of that shopping park. She'd heard that somewhere before!

She rummaged frantically through her notes only to come up bloody empty. She sat down, wondering. Her brain was working on finding that ever-elusive red thread dangling tauntingly in front of her.

She sighed and went to her most trusted technique to focus her mind. Meditation. She squatted down on her paper-littered floor and took deep breaths in and out, compartmentalizing her personal feelings towards the case in one box and pushing all of her knowledge of the case into another, searching for that turn of phrase.

After a while her eyes flew open and she rushed to the pile of notes.

Not her notes, Draco's.

Draco had taken meticulous notes from both her own and Pansy's memories and she'd read them only once fleetingly but she knew that was it. That was where she would find it.

She found the page and sure enough, both sewage and reaching the galleons had been jotted down from the conversation Pansy had with the muggle man at the fight. And the shopping park was called Gallions Reach!

She jumped up and down in excitement with a stupid grin on her face, completely enthralled in her discovery, celebrating it alone however, felt sort of hollow.

But then she paused and bit her lip. What if they actually didn't move the eggs that far from the dock? What if all the fights were held there and the dragons were still there? They could magically change the room and the entry hall for every fight so it would seem as if it was a new location. Everyone arrived for the fights by portkeys. Maybe they were arriving the same place every time? She pondered what to do while all thoughts of her dream were forgotten in her revelations about the case.

She paced the room and the report Harry gave her on fires in muggle London caught her eyes on the table. She rifled through it eagerly, certain that her hunch was spot on. Her hunches were usually right. When she found the reports she was looking for, her heart started to pound. She'd found them, at least where they used to be or maybe still were, she just knew it.

The police reports for the sewage treatments works were nothing short of confusedly written. To a muggle it would just seem like shoddy police work but to a witch or wizard it was obvious evidence of liberal use of confundus charms. She read the report quickly and gasped. There was actually a mention of stony shards found outside a building and on one side the officer had found some sticky goo, they'd had it analysed but without much luck, it had come back as some reptile residue but it hadn't been further investigated. They'd actually found shells from the dragon eggs. She was astounded at the carelessness of the dragon ring, were they really so certain that the ministry wouldn't find out about something like this?

She grinned and sent her patronus to Harry before going to drag Draco to her flat, he needed to see all of her brainwaves for himself and besides, she really wanted to kiss him too.

* * *

She arrived by floo in Draco's dark flat and quickly made her way to his bedroom. He was sprawled on his bed fast asleep wearing only boxers and the duvet was shoved to the floor. She tip-toed over to him and sat on the edge, he grumbled in his sleep and it was adorable. She knew he probably wouldn't want be called adorable because 'Malfoy's wasn't adorable'. She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair.

He stirred and groggily opened his eyes to squint at her. "Hermione?" His voice was gruff from sleep but he smiled. "Is this a dream?"

His question made him even more adorable in her mind so she leaned down to kiss him. Even in his drowsy state he was still able to pull her down to him on the bed and give her a mind-blowing snog. She completely forgot why she was there and just sank into the bliss that was his kiss, his scent and his strong arms around her.

When he just contentedly pulled her close to him to go back to sleep, she recalled why she had to stop him, Harry was probably on his way to her flat now and she sort of needed to be there for this.

"Draco?"

He made a low sound to acknowledge that he'd heard her.

"We can't go to sleep now, I have something to show you, it's really important. You have to get up with me." She tried to sit up but he wouldn't let her.

"Ugh, really?" He groaned and pulled her closer, snuggling into her. "I thought you were just here to cuddle up with me before work."

"Please?" She wasn't sure if it would work but she had to give it a try.

He groaned again and sighed. "Fine then but only if you have coffee. I don't do awake without coffee, or without a shag, I'm not fussed really." He managed a cheeky grin at her and she stuck her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes at her display of immaturity. "Alright then, do I have to get dressed? Because then I'd need a shower first."

"No need, now come on!" She dragged him to the floo and he barely managed to get a bathrobe tied around his almost naked body. He grumbled something behind her but he quieted down when she put her arms around him as they flooed to her flat.

Harry was waiting in her dining room, staring at all of the notes strewn around the room. She chuckled to herself, when focused on something she really could be rather messy, obvious by her completely chaotic dining room.

Draco marched in the direction of her kitchen, yelling to Harry and her if they wanted coffee too and they both said yes. She started to explain some of her thought-patterns to Harry and showed him Draco's notes as the man himself walked in with coffee for all of them, wearing only luxurious slippers and a fluffy dark green bathrobe. He sat down and looked like a bit of a grump as he clutched his coffee mug like a lifeline.

"Draco, do you remember when you visited Pansy's memories from the fight and she was talking to that muggle?"

He rolled his eyes. "Vividly." He said sarcastically. "Her miserable attempt at flirting with him has scarred me for life."

She giggled, of course that would be the part highlighted to him but waved it away with her hand. "But do you remember that the muggle explained something that sounded like reaching the galleons?"

He snorted. "Of course, I made a note of it but it made absolutely no sense."

"It actually does make sense because the muggle was essentially telling Pansy where the dragons were being kept!" She was so excited! "It's very close to that small port Mundungus told us about. It's a muggle area of London and it's called Gallions Reach with an i. There's a large sewage plant and a gas works plant there, they have a huge area and according to the police report you gave me yesterday Harry, there have been a number of unexplained fires in one of their larger facilities and the reports clearly shows a lot of confundus charms on the muggle policemen-"

Draco turned to Harry in the middle of her explanation and said rather rudely. "Is she going through a rant now?"

Harry just shrugged and drank more coffee. "Probably."

"-which means that they might still be there as the last fire reported was just two days ago!" She put both hands on her hips. "Wake up you two! You have to round up your aurors Harry, we have to get out there immediately!"

Draco stood up and walked towards her with his hands raised in surrender. "Of course that big brain of yours basically figured out this entire case for yourself." He stopped, narrowed his eyes at her and crossed his arms in front of his chest as if he'd just thought of something. "Wait, did you ever actually need my help with this case or did you just ask me to help you so you could have your wicked way with me?" She rolled her eyes at him, of course he would still be able to flirt cheekily with her, even in his morning-state-of-mind.

She smiled at him. "Both, I think. And thank you, I guess?"

He grinned at her answer. "You're very welcome my lady." He tucked his arms around her waist and kissed her sweetly.

"Ugh!" Came a disgruntled sound from Harry. "I did _not_ want to see that this early in the morning!" Harry whined annoyed.

She peered around Draco at her best friend. "Oh get over it Harry, you big baby. I've watched you snog Ginny more times than I can count."

He grumbled something about watching her snogging the ferret was very different but they both ignored him, she knew from experience that Harry wasn't a morning person. Neither was she but she had been up for hours at this point and had at least three cups of coffee, so she was wide awake.

"Alright you two, I'm gonna go grab a shower and get changed, meet me in my office in half an hour." Harry got up and left her flat still grumbling.

Draco chuckled sinfully as he kept on peppering her mouth with more delicious kisses. "I'm sure we can be _very_ productive in that limited timeframe, don't you?" His hands roamed her body and she shivered.

"We shouldn't, we both need showers before going to work." Her voice sounded so breathy that it was almost ridiculous. Just the suggestion from his enticing lips made her heartrate speed up.

His face changed very minutely. He was still playful but a bit more serious. "Grab what you need and come shower at mine." That subtle command was there again. It sent a thrill down her spine and a hot flame sprang to life deep within in her core. She didn't know why, she couldn't even explain it to herself but pleasing him in those moments was important to her. Just as she expected him to obey her when she gave him commands. It was an equal thing between them and she just loved it.

She nodded once and rushed to get her things magically, including her case files. Once they were all packed in her holdall, they flooed to his flat.

He set his wand to give them an alarm when they had five minutes to spare and gave her a hungry look. With a delicious smirk he pulled her into the huge shower and said silkily. "We might have to hurry, now we only have twenty-three minutes left."

He pulled her to him and kissed her hard and brief. "However long I might want to draw this out, we have no such time this morning. Place your back against the tiles there and spread your legs for me." The dark timbre in his voice made her want to whimper, but she did as he bid her. He had placed her right by the huge glass wall in the shower and she could see London starting to wake up outside. The thrill of maybe being seen was also there again.

"Put your arms above your head." She did as he bade with a wanton moan and his answering smirk set her heart racing. When she felt the sticking charm on her wrists she shivered.

He went to his knees before her. "I'm warning you now, we don't have much time so this will be hard and fast." His eyes were positively smouldering at her.

"Oh just get on with it!" She wanted desperately to shove his face towards her aching heat and to her great surprise he complied. Their limited time was probably also a factor she mused for a single moment but when his soft lips and tongue made contact with her slit, everything else just melted away.

He licked her as if he was a dying man eating his final meal, as if her juices were life's nectar itself. It took him just a few minutes to bring her to a screaming orgasm and he seemed very pleased with himself as he entered her still quivering and soaking cunt.

He pounded mercilessly into her, lifting up her legs and holding her up by her arse as her hands were still stuck above her head and she just loved it, moaning and writhing in tune with his groaning. He nibbled at her erect nipples with both his lips and teeth and he came inside her in a hoarse grunt of pleasure.

After they'd dried each other off they got dressed and he teased her by standing right behind her and grinding his pelvis into her arse while she tried to tame her hair and put on some makeup. His whispering filthy suggestions in her ear and nibbling her earlobe didn't help either but with two minutes to spare of their half hour, they stepped into the floo.

* * *

They went straight to Potter's office when they arrived at the ministry and his office was bustling with people, he was shouting orders at aurors running in and out of his office and everyone was getting ready to leave for Gallions Reach in muggle London.

Hermione was grinning and rushed to her friend's side to help him. Draco just stood by the side, watching all of them working really well together.

He was shocked when an interdepartmental memo floated to a stop in front of him. It was from one of his colleagues, asking him to get to his office pronto. That was rather peculiar but he let Hermione and Potter know where he was going and went to his own department to see what the problem was.

When he arrived, the problem was glaringly obvious.

Not only was there a bit of a crowd outside his office this early in the morning but he could hear some sort of screeching. Only when he was a couple of feet away, the full scene was unravelled to him.

His office door was intact and without a scratch on it but on the opposite wall, a man was stuck. Literally.

Huh.

Hermione must have added more than one ward to his office. Or maybe their combined wards just had a bit force that originally intended. Either way, they'd caught the fucker who tried to enter his office more than once.

He couldn't stop the contented smirk that appeared on his lips.

Before he approached the man, he checked his wards and sure enough, his wards recognized the man from trying to enter his office before. He could hear someone yelling, or screeching rather, at the man on the wall, a woman. An irate woman at that.

"How could you?! How could you betray me like this?! I told you about the wards on her office and then you try to get into his?! You bleeding rat bastard!" A few punches were intermingled with her words too.

He drew himself up to his fullest height and said, in the best imitation of his former potions master that he could muster. "What's all this?" A few people cowered away from him, there was still both fascination and fear for him in the ministry. He rather liked that, it stopped them from getting too clingy.

All of them turned to him with wide eyes and the man on the wall started pronouncing his innocence as vehemently as he could. The man's spluttering was silenced as he approached and he looked at him with fearful eyes.

"You be quiet. I am rather interested to hear what this lovely lady has to say." He turned to the angry woman beside him.

Sofia, Hermione's assistant, was basically using the magical maintenance guy as a punching bag and he was getting a bit blue in the face when she hit his solar plexus three times in a row. He considered if he should stop her as she got in a fourth punch and the man seemed somewhat out of breath. Now that wouldn't do, he needed him to be able to speak.

"Everyone, please return to your work." They shuffled reluctantly off and shot furtive glances back at the three of them, something this exciting hadn't happened in their department for years. "Sofia, may I ask why you are punching this man?"

"Oh mr. Malfoy!" She gestured angrily to the man on the wall. "This is my rat bastard EX-boyfriend!" She shouted into the ear of the bruised man. "He's used me and obviously tried to enter your office, because this,-" She waved her hand at the man. "-has Hermione's wards written all over them and I know you're working together and he has been trying to get me to talk about the cases Hermione takes but they're all classified so I couldn't tell him, now could I? He's been trying to charm me and get me to talk about the wards too,-" She turned to the man with narrowed eyes and crossed her arms. "-and now it all makes sense!" She slapped his arm hard and the man winced.

He had to stop her rant, he needed to get some answers so he turned to the man. "Who are you?"

Sofia jumped in. "This arse-" She slapped his arm again. "-is Herbert Redwood, a magical maintenance worker here at the ministry and obviously some sort of bleeding spy!" The last two words were also enforced by yet more slaps. Despite her lovely demeanour as Hermione's assistant, this woman turned out to be rather violent.

He turned his attention fully to the man on wall, who flinched at the fury in his stare. Without taking his eyes off the man, he made a request of Sofia. "Sofia, would you do me a favour and please fetch Hermione here? She's currently in Potter's office." She nodded once and left, staring daggers at Redwood as she passed him.

"Unfortunately, I am unable to release you from this predicament but I'm certain we can fill the waiting time productively, yes?" He raised and eyebrow at Redwood, who looked at him mutinously. He needed to realize that being questioned by him was the better option than waiting for Hermione to show up. "Now, seeing as I am _not_ prone to violence and that I cannot vouch for the ladies on their way here, I suggest you talk. Now."

He shook his head.

He cocked his head, eying the man and taking in every detail of his facial expressions. "Are you quite certain? Because we can always use alternate means if necessary."

He nodded.

Draco shrugged. "Fine, suit yourself."

He opened his office door and sat down behind his desk, starting his work for today. He left his door open so he could see Redwood hanging there. It didn't look very comfortable ad the man had probably been there for quite a while by now but to be honest but he couldn't give a shite.

After about fifteen minutes he looked up and the magnificence that was Hermione Granger was leaning against his doorframe with her arms crossed at her chest and a smirk playing on her beautiful tempting lips. Just over an hour ago he'd had her moaning and writhing with him in his shower and just the sight of her made him want to have her all over again.

"Did you ever have a plan to release the man from the wall?" She had a hard time keeping her face straight.

He gave her a small smirk and a shrug. "Not really. He didn't want to talk, so I thought leaving him there was the best option for now."

She walked in and placed that delicious bottom of hers on his desk. A fantasy of taking her on it popped into his head and he struggled to remain calm and professional. "Well, Harry is on his way so I guess we should get him down before then."

He coughed to clear his voice but her eyes narrowed. He knew she could tell that something was up with him. "I thought Potter was on his way to that place." He didn't want to name it in case Redwood had to be released.

She leaned forward a bit with an innocent look on her face and he almost choked. That minx! She was doing it on purpose because he now had a full and very appealing view of her luscious cleavage. "No, he sent the others instead. He's been searching for the spy so he wants to question him too." Her voice was seductive and husky.

He coughed again before speaking but his voice still sounded a bit hoarse. "But can Potter be everywhere at once?" He asked very sceptically. "Wont he be needed in the field?"

She had this devilishly innocent facial expression, only her small smirk belied her devious intentions and he was fucking hard as steel. She was openly and sexily flirting with him with an open door and by all the almighty gods he wanted her. "Actually no, because I'm going with them. I just came by to release Herbert here from our combined wards."

He stopped breathing. "You're going there? Without me or Potter?" He didn't know when he had come to trust Potter's ability to keep her safe if he wasn't with her and he wasn't even certain why he was worried. She could easily hex circles around anyone if she wanted to. This case just felt too jarring to him, as if the people behind it didn't have any regard for human lives. He'd spent more than enough time around people like that during the war.

She frowned and rolled her eyes at his over-protective reaction. "Of course I am, and you two will get something out of this scumbag. He's the same magical maintenance guy that fixed the droplets in my office. So, he's been in my office at least once during this case and he tried to enter yours twice. Plus he struck up a relationship with my assistant." She gave him a pointed look as if it was the most obvious thing in the world before she continued.

"He's definitely our mole but he might not be working alone in here. And could he be the one who confounded the muggles in the holding cells too? That's for you to find out with Harry. I don't trust the aurors to spot the clues we're looking for at the plant and docks, they know the broad strokes of the case but not the details. And I'll be fine so don't worry." She winked at him with a beaming smile before she turned around, twirled her wand and Redwood hit the floor hard face down, tightly bound in thick ropes and her tight round spectacular little arse left his sight.

A low groan escaped him. That woman would always leave him panting and wanting more and he fucking loved it.

He didn't bother doing anything about the man except placing a silencing charm on him when the whining from him became too annoying. It would seem that Potter wasn't in a hurry to get there, so he worked on their upcoming questioning of Redwood, scouring their notes for anything that would make him twitch. Also, it didn't seem as though the man had any intention of betraying his employers, perhaps they needed some leverage. How they were going to get it, he had no idea.

He'd just requested the entire ministry archives regarding the ancestry of Redwood from one of his colleagues, they needed to investigate any close or extended family to the man, just as Potter rounded the corner of the hallway to his department.

Potter looked at the man lying face down on the floor and looked at Draco with mirth in his eyes. "How long has he been there like that?"

He shrugged again. He seemed to be doing that a lot today. "No idea." He looked at his watch. "Maybe thirty minutes?"

"And you put the silencing charm on him?" Potter's lifted eyebrow made him smirk.

"It made sense, he wasn't talking but his whining was fucking annoying." Potter rolled his eyes but Draco caught the grin on his face as he turned to Redwood. He waved his wand and pulled the man upright and started pulling him towards the holding cells where Weasley and Brown were still locked up.

"You coming?" Potter threw over his shoulder and Draco grabbed his notes and followed them down. He wondered on the way how the hell they were going to question a man who didn't want to talk to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter our heroes are starting to connect the dots but in case you missed the little clue, then Draco's notes of the area in London from Pansy's conversation with the muggle can be found in chapter twelve :-)  
> Bonus info: Gallions Reach is an actual place in London. There are gas works, sewage works, a business park and shopping. Despite the fact that I've been to London many many times, I haven't been there so I'll be making up the descriptions of the area and the placements of buildings and such.
> 
> Please let me know what you think of the fic so far!  
> HBSJ


	19. The bust

Out of thin air, three people, Hermione and two aurors, Adam and John popped into existence by a small dock in London. Ten feet away, another three people appeared as well, aurors Mia, Sarah and Grant.

Hermione didn't pause to take in her surroundings, they didn't have time for that. She immediately started throwing up covert shield spells to ensure their safety in case they were caught by someone patrolling the area. They didn't know what they were walking into and they had no idea how many people they would encounter, if any.

They walked through the grounds of the factory, trying to discern where the magical trace was the most evident. Auror Mia found remnants of the trace and they slowly made their way towards the large concrete building showing the most signs of magical tampering. It looked abandoned, there were weeds everywhere and it stood as a stark contrast to the rest of the factory area, which was groomed and well-kept. There were at least half a dozen muggle repellent charms which might explain the run-down look, but why more than one ward was needed was beyond her. But there was no fidelius, no need to keep it that covert. But she couldn't fathom why they wouldn't want to safeguard their operation from other witches and wizards more carefully.

They disillusioned themselves and spent a long time investigating the outside of the building, assessing if it was safe to enter. After basically assuming that it was safe, because they actually didn't really know, they entered the building with their wands at the ready.

* * *

When Draco followed Potter downstairs he was wondering what the fuck was going on. He didn't really worry about Redwood, they would know all about him soon enough. The minister would grant them permission to use legilimency if necessary and he was sure it would be necessary. That man wasn't going to say anything other than that he was innocent and he really didn't care to listen to that bullshite again.

They spent a while trying to get the man to talk and nothing worked. He stubbornly kept his mouth shut, even when Potter said that he easily could get approval to use legillimency from the minister. His eyes had widened in fear but still, he'd said nothing they didn't already know.

He and Potter then decided to regroup outside the holding cells. They were told that the weasel had been moved to the courtrooms while they were inside the cell and they had a brief conversation about how to handle Redwood. They decided to divide and conquer so Potter went to the minister and he went to speak with Brown.

When he entered the room, Lavender Brown was silently sniffling into a tissue. She looked like hell. Her hair was a tangled mess and she had on filthy clothes. These holding cells had rather good accommodations, a separate bedroom and even a bathroom. Her parents had even brought her some fresh clothing that laid untouched on a side table. But evidently she had chosen to play the disparaged martyr-role, though he didn't really give a shite how she'd chosen to act, as long as she started talking and soon.

She looked up in surprise. "M… Malfoy? W… What are you doing here?"

"Hello miss Brown. I am setting the questions to you today." He tried to keep it genially. He didn't really have anything against her per se, she was just too dumb really. Okay, reasonably he didn't really know her well enough to actually know that but she was seeing the weasel and that was all the proof that he needed. The fact that Hermione had been seeing him too just showed that she'd had a rather serious momentary lack of judgement, but that she'd eventually come to her senses. Obviously.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Have you set any of your so-called 'questions' to my Won-Won?"

"I did actually, we had a very productive conversation. Calling in his parents was a stroke of genius if you ask me." He shrugged nonchalantly but in reality, he was very pleased with himself. It had worked like a bloody charm.

She gasped. "You called in _both_ of his parents?!"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I did, did you really think it was only your parents we called? You might not be minors but you still don't have direct legal counsel attached to your families and your parents would be able to contact someone if they decided you needed it." He looked pointedly around the cell which was glaringly empty apart from the two of them. "They clearly decided against it."

She huffed. "You are evil."

"No I'm not, I'm just very clever." He gave her a self-satisfied smirk. "However, I am also in a position where I am able to assist you." She narrowed her eyes at him again. That was going to get old quickly if she kept on doing that.

He continued. "You see, Weasley has basically given up in there, so he's handed over everything he knows, names, places, dates and most importantly, memories."

Her eyes went wide and he could see that he was getting to her. She shifted in her seat and crossed her arms across her chest. She opened her mouth to start arguing.

He cut her off before she could say anything. "Which means,-" He gave her a pointed glare. "-that we basically don't need your testimony. We have everything we need to lock you up so unless you have something to add, then I am currently wondering if we shouldn't just ship you off to Azkaban tonight."

He sat down across from her nonchalantly, waiting for her to make a decision. She had been in the holding cell for a couple of days now and she hadn't given them much to work with. It was now time to give the information up. He didn't know why she wasn't talking anyway. What could she possibly know that the weasel didn't?

Weasley's sentence was being measured by the Wizengamot that very afternoon and Arthur was going to try to defend the man. Draco had already given his recommendation to the minister so he seriously hoped that he didn't have to see that ugly mug of the weasel's anymore. Just seeing the red menace was a hardship in and of itself.

She looked at him with a huge question written all over her face but he didn't give away a single thing. His mask was firmly in place and he was just waiting for her now.

She looked contemplative. To him it was a rather unnatural look on Brown. She was biting the pad of her thumb now. "What happens if I don't talk?"

He rolled his eyes again. "We've been over this. You will be at the mercy of the Wizengamot and my recommendation. However,-" He gave her a stern look. "-I strongly suggest that you start talking. That would be in your best interest."

She narrowed her eyes at him a-bloody-gain. Now she must just be taking a piss. But she stayed quiet, she looked like she was thinking hard about what he'd said so he stayed quiet too and started studying his nails. He didn't have anywhere to be in a hurry.

* * *

Surprisingly, they met no opposition as they entered the warehouse where the use of magic had led them. She looked around. She was standing in a dilapidated run-down factory hall. It was massive and glaringly empty. She could feel the many layers of magic saturating the place. There were magically carved tunnels underneath the thick floor and a pit in the middle of the room. It was similar to the one she remembered from the fight, maybe it had been a bit glamoured to look better than it actually was.

There wasn't anyone around, no guards or lookouts or anything. It didn't make sense. She immediately started doing diagnostic spells of the surrounding area and it was saturated with magic. Magic from many different people.

The aurors were all looking to her to tell them what to do and she didn't mind that at all. It reminded her of the three of them, her, Harry and Ron from their school days. She swallowed and walked to their huddle.

Just when she'd started handing out marching orders, the head auror himself walked casually in the door. "Hello Hermione, guys." He nodded at his employees.

Hermione frowned. "Harry? I thought you were going to question Redwood?"

"I was but he wasn't talking, so we thought we might be more productive helping out. Malfoy went to speak with Lavender and I stationed a few guards outside Redwood's cell when I went to speak with Kingsley, but he was in an important meeting with the French, and Romanian ministers about our case so I came here instead. I thought I might be useful." He grinned at her.

She smiled back at him. "Alright then mister head auror. Get over here and do some work for once." He rolled his eyes and went over to where they were all huddled.

Hermione and Harry both did some complicated wand-movements and it was deemed safe for them to continue. After Harry did a quick homenum revelio, they knew that there were twelve people in the building apart from them and that all of them were on the first floor.

They crept through the large building with ease, ensuring the safety of their colleagues. When the front team reached the door on the first-floor landing there were two guards outside. They were chatting and didn't realize that a team of three disillusioned wizards were closing rapidly in on them.

Harry signalled with his hand and silently, the two men were hit by stunners and fell to the floor without a sound. Hermione had cushioned and silenced the floor so no one inside was aware of the fallen guards.

They did another homenum revelio to ensure that they hadn't missed anyone inside. Ten. There were ten people inside apart from the two bound on the floor and they needed to capture all of them.

In whispers, Harry instructed them all. Four aurors would burst through the door with him as point and engage the people inside in duels. The other two and Hermione would get a good look of the room inside and apparate in to appear behind the perpetrators about ten seconds after.

With Harry counting on his hands silently, they all moved as a single unit. Harry and the three aurors who entered through the door had incapacitated five bad guys before the others could even blink and then the fight broke out in earnest. Hermione, Sarah and Adam apparated in to the back of the room, swiftly dispatching two more bad guys.

There were only three left and a large man covered in tattoos spun on the spot just as Hermione and auror Grant both said the enchantment to stop all apparition in the vicinity. A man by the cages was just about to do the same but by the time he'd spun in a circle, he was bound tightly and fell on his face on the floor along with the man beside him. None of his friends were able to release him because they had all suffered the same fate.

When they all stood and Hermione checked for human presence again, there were none but the ones they'd caught. The man, she was certain that it was Jack Flame, who'd disapparated was nowhere near them. He'd slipped through their grasp and Hermione, rather uncharacteristically, ground her teeth and cursed violently. She'd really hoped to capture him. She had a gut feeling that he was a very dangerous man.

She finally took a moment to actually take in the massive room they were standing in. There were cages, floor to ceiling and most of the cages had dragons in them. There was a magical barrier between all of the cages and the largest cages were highly strengthened to ensure that the hungry and agitated dragons didn't escape.

The dragons were snarling dangerously at the newcomers to the room and each other. Harry looked around with his eyebrows raised and wide eyes. "Should I fetch Charlie now?"

She nodded. "Fetch everyone at the ministry who has even a smidgen of experience with adolescent starved dragons and dragon eggs." An egg on a warming bench close to them started cracking, she cocked her head at it. "And probably someone who might know about hatchlings too."

"You just described Charlie, Charlie and Charlie. You know that, right?"

"I know,-" She sighed. "-but we need more people and Charlie can't deal with all of this himself." She gestured around the room and a few of the dragons screeched as if to agree with her.

He lifted his wand and his stag patronus emerged from his wand. He gave it swift instructions, it split into several stags and soared through the walls.

* * *

As Jack had disapparated from the warehouse, he could see his younger brother prepare to do the same. They had a place where they would go. They would meet, regroup and start afresh. They'd done it enough times by now.

But he didn't show up.

He paced and waited and paced some more, getting more and more agitated. After their agreed hour, he ground his teeth angrily and dissaparated with fury etched on his face.

* * *

Brown sighed and Draco looked up. It must have been at least an hour since he'd last spoken to her. They'd just been sitting there in silence. He wasn't sure if it was because she was just that dumb that she'd actually needed that long to contemplate what he'd told her.

She made a rather unappealing grimace. "Fine."

He cocked his head to the side. "Fine, what?" He needed her to be more eloquent than that.

"I'll talk and give you memories if you can just get me out of here and not into Azkaban, alright?"

He took a moment to consider that before he answered. "Of course, it depends on what you know but yes, I give you my word that I'll try to get you out of here and try to keep you out of Azkaban too."

She narrowed her eyes at him. _Again._ He wanted to roll his eyes at her. "How do I know you'll keep your word?"

"Trust." He paused for effect. "You just have to trust me."

She scoffed and shook her head. "I don't trust you at all Malfoy. But I guess I have to in this case." She sighed dramatically.

He smirked triumphantly at her. "Alright then. Tell me what you know. Everything you know related to this case. Tell me what you know about the dragons, the handlers and most importantly, who is behind all of this."

She leaned forward with a small smile that he didn't understand at all and looked around as if checking for eavesdroppers. "Okay, well, you can't tell Ron,-" Oh dear. She seemed to think they were getting friendly. _Bollocks_. Oblivious to his inner musings, she continued. "-but I used to be with Jack. It wasn't much, just a couple of times and we just had fun, you know?" She was acting as if she was telling him a juicy piece of gossip and not crucial details in a complicated international dragon egg case.

"But his name isn't Jack at all." He knew that part. "He and his brother are just here to make lots of money and then they're going to America to live life to the fullest." A brother? They didn't know about that. "He started it all when I was with him, that's why Ron and I could always get in to the fights, I already knew him but because of Ron, Jack had to stay a bit away from us because Ron's insanely jealous and I just didn't need that kind of drama in my life, you now?"

She was starting to stray off topic now but she'd already given him quiet a lot of information, so he hoped that she might circle back to the important points. Who the hell was Jack Flame? And how the hell was he connected to Redwood in the next cell?

"Anyway, his brother is called Uwe, I know, such a weird name, right? And they're both German and from this really small town down in the mountains somewhere. It had this weird name but I'm really bad with names. Jack's not called Jack, his real name is Kurt but come on, how lame is that?! I definitely understand why he got a new name. His brother has a new name too but I can't remember it at all. I'm terrible with names, you know?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. She was still yapping away and he had completely forgotten how annoying Brown was when relating gossip. She did give him some good information but it was drowned in her unrelated tripe.

"Well, I have this friend from school who's really weird and kind of bossy but she has excellent taste in shoes, so that's why we're still friends. She has all kinds of creatures and trains them too. Her and a friend, they have this thing for small odd animals, I personally don't get it, they give me the creeps but each to their own I guess." She shrugged and rolled her eyes.

He sighed heavily, her exasperating fast-talking was fast giving him a pounding headache.

"So,-" She paused dramatically. "-we all went out one night, before I got with Ron I mean, and Jack had this great idea with my friend and they basically talked all night just the two of them. You can imagine how much that pissed me off. I mean, come on! They basically ignored me completely and you just don't _do_ that, you know?" She looked at him as though she thought he should agree but honestly, he didn't give a shite about her perceived feelings.

"Well, her cousin was there too, Herbie, and he ignored me _all night_ too. So basically, I had a shit night out and Jack payed zero attention to me even when we got back to my place. I'd even put on my sexiest red lingerie to really get a thorough shag but he just wasn't there, you know, mentally, he was just sitting there looking over some plans all night, I even went to bed _alone_ , can you imagine the horror?"

He put up a hand to pause her ramblings, they were getting off topic. _Again._

* * *

The man known as Jack Flame was irate! How could that fucking woman let them all be caught?! His brother and his friends, all were fucking caught!

He marched angrily towards an old three-story home in a rural part of Oxford. It probably used to be well kept, but the gardens were overgrown and the house itself looked like it was falling apart. He could hear a woman screaming in there and he cursed. He had no patience for her ever-increasing madness today.

In his former life, before he faked his death, he had been known as Kurt Schröder from a small wizarding town between Munich and Salzburg. It was nestled in a mountain valley in the Chiemgauer Alps. There were a few muggle families living around that general area, but they were far away and no one knew that a town was even there, let alone a wizarding town.

His father grew up during the war. Well, the two wars as it was. The war between the muggles that hadn't affected them much, known as World War II and the war Grindelwald had started in order to subjugate the muggles. Grindelwald himself had been to their small village a number of times, due to the proximity of the German leader of the muggles at the time. He had a summerhouse of some sort down in Berchtesgaden, which was rather close to where they lived.

His father had been enamoured by the charismatic wizard and he'd believed in his cause without question. Everything Grindelwald had done, was necessary because it was done for the greater good. Even as a boy, he had wanted to be like Grindelwald. The defeat of Grindelwald had hit him hard and during Jack's adolescence, he'd repeatedly lamented the loss of such a great wizard in their society.

When Jack had been twenty-two, his father had suddenly uprooted their small family consisting of him, his younger brother, his father and mother and moved them to Britain without an explanation.

Only after they arrived at a large house in the south of England, had his intent become clear. There was another wizard on the rise. Someone who, his father believed, could finish Grindelwald's work and restore order to the world as they knew it. Why should witches and wizards cower from the muggles? Clearly the muggles should bow down before them. He didn't exactly disagree with that sentiment but he thought their methods could be improved.

Jack had been interested in the wizard known as Lord Voldemort for about two seconds before he had refused point blank to do the man's bidding. Well, he'd refused his father, the wacko thinking himself mighty seemed very unstable and he didn't want to deal with that sort.

So, when his parents had been murdered by the snake-eyed man a few weeks later he and his brother had just packed up and left that world as quickly as they could, faked their deaths and blended seamlessly into the muggle population, setting up a business in a small village and they'd stayed the hell away from anything wizard until the whack-job was confirmed dead. They'd spent hours perfecting their British dialect so they would blend in perfectly and coming up with their new flashy identities. They'd used a couple of different identities by now as they'd raised galleons for their American adventure. Their plan was to live like kings.

He was usually optimistic about being on the run but he didn't like it this time, because his brother wasn't with him.

Well, it was his father's fault the first time and now he was fucking on the run again. And now it was _her_ fucking fault! She hadn't been careful enough, she had gotten cocky and her personal revenge with the ministry had come before the safety of their operation.

He growled angrily. His entire meticulously planned operation, dragons, eggs, incubators and staff had been lost in one fell swoop of surprising ministry efficiency. She had ensured him that the British Ministry of Magic was comprised of nothing but incompetent fools and they could do whatever they pleased. She had waved him off when he'd wanted to protect their warehouse with more aggressive wards and he had even suggested the fidelius at one point.

She had certainly been wrong about that, now hadn't she? Everything he'd worked so hard for was gone, in bloody ruins!

When he reached the house, he didn't even bother knocking, he just threw the door open and walked straight into the house. He followed the noise of the crazy wailing banshee-like noise through the corridors. When he got close he could feel the air saturated with unstable magic and he hid his wand in his hand. He was not going be caught off guard of this irrational witch.

When he turned the corner into the room, a woman clad in dark grey was facing the windows.

When he walked in, she was screaming at the windows, blasting a spell at random at some of them. A couple of her creatures cowered in a corner of the room. He could see them scramble to get out of a blasted window. She swirled around and pointed a finger at him with a wild expression on her face. "YOU! You did this!" Her hood was down for once and he winced at the sight of her. She looked horrid and he certainly understood why she usually wore it up.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Of course I didn't, you bat-shit-crazy witch! Do you think for a second that I would actually let my own brother get fucking caught?!"

She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes at him before she yelled. "Then who?!"

"Bloody hell if I know." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Do you have a plan to get them out?"

Her brows furrowed. "Of course not, they're just in the way and the ministry can deal with them now. I need my cousin to fix their memories so they won't remember me." She was acting unpredictably and odd. She obviously had no concern for anyone but herself. She pulled out one of those small creatures and started cooing at it, completely oblivious to his presence.

"You know, _I do_ know your identity." He said casually and she spun towards him with rage written all over her face. "But I won't tell anyone,-" She visibly relaxed but he wasn't finished. "-if we help each other out."

"What do you want?" She seemed wary, pouty and small suddenly, like a little girl who had to do something before she got her sweets. Her sudden mood shifts were unnerving and very annoying.

"Nothing much, just my brother. You will help me get him out of there and we split the galleons three ways. You'll never have to see or hear from us again."

"No, I keep half, that was the deal and I won't help you unless I keep half." She walked away from him and looked serenely at the ruined house. When she turned around, he was shocked to see a smile on her face. "This place could use new curtains and you know how expensive that can be."

He didn't actually, he had no fucking clue how much curtains cost and he didn't give a shite about them either, but he did care about his brother. "Fucking fine alright. Give me my half now, so I know you won't double cross me."

She pointed to a blank stretch of wall with a smile and said in a sing-song voice. "It's in there, take it if you know how to get it."

He could feel the anger take over, that fucking nutty bitch. He marched towards her and she cowered before him. When she couched down to the floor he grabbed the neck of her robes and dragged her over to the wall. "Fucking get the galleons out, NOW!" He yelled in her face and she burst into crocodile tears. He'd seen that more than once. "Oh, spare me your bleeding theatrics woman!"

Her sobs turned to eerie cackles that echoed around the empty room and at that moment, he'd had enough. He took out his wand and stupefied her mid-cackle and thankfully, the room turned silent. The creature from her hand sped away from her to join the dash for freedom.

He stood staring at the normal-looking wall. How the hell was he supposed to open that?

* * *

"Brown." She was still rambling about her bad night. Something about the loneliness she had suffered in a cold and boring bed. She was definitely still the over-dramatic girl he remembered from school and it was starting to bore him.

"Brown." He tried again a bit louder, nothing.

He stood up and banged a fist against the table. "Brown!" She finally looked up and shut her mouth.

He gave her a piercing stare. "Who the hell was the woman?"


	20. Revelations

Within fifteen minutes, the entire area was crawling with ministry employees of all kinds. Most of Hermione's colleagues from the department of magical creatures were there to assist Charlie with the dragons. It turned out that they were damn lucky he was in the country because they didn't have any other fully qualified dragon handlers in Britain. They had all gone to Romania to work. They could hear Charlie shouting at someone that they didn't know what they were doing, which was probably correct.

Hermione was rushing around with Harry, they did diagnostic spells all over the warehouse to discover any secret hiding places. It was protocol but to her surprise, they found not one but four different concealed spaces.

The first was the circular antechamber that Hermione remembered from the fight they attended. They did another sweep in there and came up empty. It was just the receiving room for the fights.

The second was a rather boring supply room that they'd also used as their canteen. The room was overflowing with different kinds of supplies. There were all sorts of contraptions to keep the dragons in line. The worst disciplinary tool that Hermione could see, was a stick-thing with no less than eight hooks interspersed on the end of it. It looked absolutely gruesome. That was beside all of the used and broken heat light bulbs and beside that, there was a crate filled with food for the dragons. It had been placed under a stasis charm but still, it reeked of rotten meat.

The third room was another storage, mostly for the men guarding the dragons. Everything from chocolate cauldrons to cans of fizzy drink and then their uniforms for the fights. The rooms were soon swarming with aurors, checking and rechecking for curses and jinxes, before making an entire inventory of the area.

The fourth room however, was the vault. It was hard to open but the combined effort of her and Harry did the trick. It had thousands and thousands of galleons, sickles and knuts hidden there combined with muggle money and she grinned. This would make Jack and the dragon lady furious, they could use this as bait.

* * *

Charlie was barking orders at everyone around him and spent most of his time trying to get a handle on the adolescent dragons. They were a handful to say the least. But his natural brutish appearance and calm demeanor soon had most of the dragons looking to him for their instructions. After the abuse they'd suffered from their former captors, they readily accepted him as their interim leader and the younger dragons soon followed the elder dragons' lead.

Charlie had just picked up a pint sized Antilopean Opaleye from a filthy cage and was trying to get a metal splinter out from its front claw, but as he looked towards the door he froze in the middle of his task, earning himself an impatient bite from the small dragon. He winced and he could hear an enchanting tinkling laugh getting ever closer.

He tried desperately to school his features but it didn't work because he had a wild smile on his face as he looked at the woman who was arguably the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She was endlessly kissable and statuesque all at the same time with her long blonde hair, sea green eyes and full rosy lips. She wore a simple outfit of jeans, an oxford, black leather boots and a black leather jacket that hugged her luscious body just right.

When she strode forward and picked up the tiny dragon in his hands without a pause, he wanted to stop her. Even a tiny dragon could be dangerous if it felt threatened. But it didn't seem to feel threatened at all. In fact, the dragon nuzzled her cheek when the woman cooed at the baby dragon.

He gaped. And he probably looked like an idiot doing it.

Within those few seconds, he became completely infatuated with the witch in front of him and he could feel his face take on a smile, despite the fact that he usually never let anyone who was inexperienced, handle dragons.

She made it difficult for him to focus on his task. She cooed some more at the dragon who seemed completely taken with the witch as she removed the splinter easily. The dragon shook its body from head to tail and almost purred at the witch, if a lizard had that capability.

She placed the dragon in the magically warmed crate Charlie had taken out for it and turned towards him with a timid smile that had a distinctly playful quality to it. "My apologies for interfering in your task sir, it was not my intention."

At her use of the title sir, he felt a tremor shoot down his spine to settle in his groin. He wanted to growl but he held it in as much as possible. He tried to cover it by speaking. "Oh no,-" Dammit, his voice was sounding rather husky. "-thank you for your help." He coughed to clear his voice, he was trying to go for smooth but unfortunately he was failing abysmally. "The dragon clearly responded better to you than me." It had helped a fraction and she smiled bashfully at him so he continued. "I'm Charlie Weasley by the way."

Her eyes widened and her timid smile turned positively wicked. To Charlie, it ought to be outlawed to look like this woman did and smile like _that_ at him. He felt his normally confident and swagger self turn to mush in her presence. "Oh, then I guess you and I have a date later this evening."

He frowned, he didn't have a date with this woman, he had a blasted blind date with some Daphne-girl that Pansy was trying to set him up with. He just looked nonplussed at her and that tinkling laugh was emitted from her again. To him, it was the most perfect sound in the world.

"I think you misunderstand me sir." There she went with that sir-word again. He groaned internally. "I am Daphne Greengrass, Pansy's friend. She has arranged for us to meet tonight."

He choked and started coughing and she laughed again. By the almighty gods, she was beautiful when she laughed. He mentally kicked himself and tried to act like a normal person. Like someone who _hadn't_ gone mental because of her beauty.

"I am here at your discretion sir,-" That word from her lips would be his personal downfall, he was sure of it. "I have experience with dragon hatchlings and eggs so if you will, please instruct me."

Oh, dear mother of all that was merciful!

It was as if she was made for him and only him. He almost spontaneously combusted right there on the spot. He had many _many_ ideas of how she should be instructed flitting through his treacherous mind before he shook his head. He _had_ to act professionally. He rolled his eyes at himself, he was shite at being professional but he decided to give it a go.

He cleared his throat. "Alright then miss Greengrass, please attend to the hatchlings over on that side and check the eggs. We need to ensure that none of the eggs will hatch during the transport to the safe house, before they can be returned to Romania."

She nodded. "Yes sir." She gave him a mock-salute, winked sensually at him and sauntered her perfect arse over to the area he had designated. He groaned audibly and rubbed the heels of his hands in his eyes. By the gods, he still hoped that she wanted to go on that date with him later.

* * *

Daphne was smitten. Charlie Weasley was clearly a consummate gentleman with a rugged side that she had been missing in all of those men she had dated. And he had that glint in his eyes that made her catch her breath. It made her feel as if he could see none but her. The excitement was bubbling over inside her, it made her want to jump ud and down and squeal, but that wasn't lady-like.

Pansy hadn't been kidding, he was very handsome. She could see the muscles of his body rippling when he coughed and it did strange things to her. There was no doubt about it, she wanted to get to know Charlie better.

She sighed, maybe for once she had to give it to Pansy. Maybe Pansy _was_ seven time lucky with her setting Daphne up on blind dates. She grinned at the thought.

* * *

She stared at him with wide eyes, completely incredulous. "But you know her! Of course you do, we all know her! From school, she was in Ravenclaw but I'm not sure that she's that smart, because she's really not that pretty, you know?"

How the hell she connected brains and beauty he didn't know but he didn't have patience to listen to that explanation. He waved her tripe away. "Alright then, who the hell is she?!"

She shrugged. "It's Mari."

He stared at her, waiting for the complete name. She didn't say anything and still, he bloody waited. When she still didn't speak, he had to prompt her. "I can't read your mind Brown, her full name, please." It almost pained him to say please to her, but he wasn't done getting information from her.

She rolled her eyes and said the name as though it was the most obvious thing she'd ever said. "Marietta Edgecombe." She shrugged. "She nuttier than a squirrel but she's got great taste in shoes and I mean, you can never see her face because of those boring hooded cloaks but you can see her shoes and they _matter_."

He frowned. "Why does she hide her face?"

"What? Don't you know?" The incredulous look was back, she really looked like a deer caught in wand light when she did that, but he ignored it and shook his head in answer to her question.

"Come on Malfoy, it was all over the school during fifth year! Your squad even helped Umbridge bring us down afterwards. No hard feelings of course, I mean, we were all just trying to live the best we could back then, you know?" It was the first thing she'd said that made absolute sense to him yet.

He sighed. "Okay Brown, fine, I'll bite. What happened at school during Umbridge's reign?" Conversing with this woman was endlessly dreary. It felt like trying to pull a giant in the direction you wanted it to go.

"Well, you know that I was in this club, the D.A., it stood for Dumbledore's Army and we learned all sorts of weird stuff with Harry as a teacher. Anyway, Hermione had this piece of paper where we all signed our name if we wanted in and she hexed the paper in case we snitched."

He smirked, that was very like Hermione. She could easily have been a Slytherin, she was very clever and devious when she wanted to be.

"I personally think that was an awful thing to do,-" She sniffed. "-I mean, Mari only did what her mum asked her to do and of course you can't blame her for that, but she _still_ has the scars from Hermione's nasty hex. They look awful,-" Her face was almost gleeful, he couldn't believe this was how she talked about her so-called friend. "-she looks like she still has spots and she's nearing _thirty_." She said Edgecombe's age as though it was some kind of dirty secret.

He barely managed to keep himself from pointing out that so was she but she continued on with her story undaunted. "I mean, that thing with Mari and her mum has basically ruined the family! Her dad died from some bite or other years ago-" She waved the death away as if it was unimportant to the tale she was spinning. "-and her mum had to keep working at the ministry. I mean, how else would they get _anything_?" It was clearly a rhetorical question, because she didn't even pause before continuing.

"Her entire family fell seriously from grace when You know Who was defeated by Harry, I mean, she was just a hard worker at the ministry but then that Kingsley-bloke became minister and everything changed. She was booted out of there as if she was a muggle! You can imagine the horror!" By Merlin her theatrics were starting to wear on him. "I mean, just because she worked hard under minister Thicknesse, that shouldn't mean that she couldn't work hard under him as well." She shook her head. "They just fired her like it was nothing and her brother was fired too, Herbie's dad. He was helping with the Muggleborn Registration Commission and I mean, they were just doing their jobs, so why were they fired?" She threw up her hands as if she expected and answer from him, so he merely shrugged and she carried on. "No one knows!"

She looked around and leaned in again. "I personally think they were chosen to set an example, I mean, why would anyone target them? It just doesn't make any sense at _all_." She paused dramatically _again_ and he thought about all of the other things he could be doing with his time instead of listening to her wild speculations. He'd only gone in here to see if he could get her to talk when no one else had been successful in getting her to say more than a few sentences and he sort of hated that he'd actually succeeded because now he was stuck listening to her high-pitched gossipy whine. _For fucks sake._

* * *

Pansy was a very busy woman, she did _not_ have time these menial things that Draco made her do and today he wanted her to show up at some filthy factory in bloody muggle London to help Hermione take inventory of all of the shite there.

She sighed heavily as she walked, heels clacking of course, to the apparition point because she was sure that there was only a couple of useless bins and maybe a nasty animal or two.

When she finally arrived at the factory, she shuddered. It was so incredibly untidy and Pansy did _not_ do untidy. Everything in her life was neat, ordered and to the point. That was the thing about her and Blaise, they matched so well. Where she was neat, he was chaotic and somehow they found a perfect middle ground. It was the same at the café they owned together. He had the run of the daily craziness in there and she sorted the books and the decór. She had a serious thing for tassels. There was nothing that couldn't be improved with tassels in her mind, be it a sofa or a woman's dress. Tassels had a sort or ordered chaos that spoke to her and it was just a thing that the people around her had to accept, because it wasn't going away.

When she walked in, the first thing she saw, apart from the mess in general, was the handsome Charlie Weasley eying none other than Daphne Greengrass. She grinned to herself. She knew she had set Daph up on some bad dates in the past, but that was just what it was, in the past and now she certainly saw a rugged redhead in her future.

* * *

"So, Lavender finally opened up?"

They were sitting in his office late in the afternoon, the proper way, with her luscious arse much too far away on the opposite side of his desk. He didn't like that much but they were expecting Potter any minute and is wouldn't be advisable to be caught in a compromising position at his job by the head auror. Even though Potter was one of the few who actually knew about them, they tried to keep their work environment professional.

"There's not even a word for the flood-gate of crap that enveloped me when she finally started talking. Honestly, that woman is the biggest gossip I've ever met and I grew up with Pansy!"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Oh boo hoo poor you." He grimaced at her. "But did she say anything good?"

"Well, in between her bitching and moaning about a bad night out, and her pity for the Redwoods-" He rolled his eyes. "-she actually did give me some very good information. Jack Flame's real name is Kurt Schröder and his younger brother Uwe is probably one of the men your team captured today." She nodded, so he went on to the good bits. "Also, she told me who our dragon-lady is, because it turns out that it was Brown who introduced Jack to Redwood and the dragon-lady."

Her eyes went wide. "No kidding!" She sat straight up in her chair and was completely absorbed by what he was telling her.

"And Redwood is first cousins with the dragon-lady, who, as it turns out, is a former Hogwarts student from a year above us." He could see Hermione search through her memory of their time at Hogwarts, but he decided to put her out of her misery. "The woman behind all of this is Marietta Edgecombe."

"What? Cho Chang's friend?"

"I have no idea about that but I don't remember her at all, do you?"

"Yes I do, she was in the D.A. with the rest of us." He looked questioningly at her. "Dumbledore's Army. We formed it in fifth year at Hogwarts under Umbridge's reign." He nodded and Hermione smirked to herself. "So, what you're saying is that Redwood is Marietta's first cousin and he's been in on the plan from the very beginning?"

"Yes, he's Edgecombe's cousin on her mother's side. Brown spewed a lot of useless bullshite but that was good information."

She smiled. "Perfect. That's what we use to get him to talk, he doesn't know that we know that. That is our leverage."

He gave her devious smirk. "Oh but I have more information." She raised a single brow at him, motioning him to continue. "Well, I had some of my colleagues research his background and we can definitely use some of that too."

She smiled and leaned in. "Ooh, do tell."

"It would seem that both our mr. Redwood and miss Edgecombe has some serious issues with the ministry because their parents lost their jobs and reputations after Shacklebolt took office and on top of that it would seem Edgecombe has some serious issues with you in particular."

Her eyes went wide. "With me? What did I do?"

"Brown said something about a bunch of scars on her face that spell a word and have never gone away." He could see her cheeks reddening. "Would that be something that you had something to do with, Hermione?"

"Uhm, I might have." She trailed off and he grinned at her. "Alright, alright, it _was_ my fault, but she shouldn't have gone blabbering. I put a simple boil-jinx that I tweaked myself on the parchment that all of the members of the D.A. signed and I ensured that it wouldn't activate under duress. It would only activate if the snitch was willingly and freely handing over information about the D.A."

He almost couldn't stop the grin on his face. "Hermione, what word did the jinx spell?"

"Uhm, sneak, in capital letters."

"So, she has SNEAK written in large faded boils on her face?" She nodded with an annoyed expression. It made him start chuckling and soon it turned to stomach-clutching guffaws. She had never seen him like this but he didn't care, this was honestly the funniest thing he'd ever heard. He wiped his eyes repeatedly and she was looking indignant at him. Her expression made him laugh even harder.

"That is hilarious!" He wiped his eyes. "And also very vicious! I didn't know you had that kind of brutal prowess in you Hermione, I'm very impressed."

She narrowed her eyes at him and huffed. "You're an arse Draco Malfoy, did you know that?" She sounded so indignant that he almost started laughing again.

He grinned. "Oh, don't you worry about that, I am very well aware of it. But I didn't know you could be so underhanded. Should I watch myself?"

She looked appalled. "Of course not! But it's her own fault that she still has the scars from my jinx, the words should have faded completely within six months of the jinx activating but I think maybe all of that makeup she wore during her seventh year to cover it up, stopped the very slow healing process I built into the jinx."

He smirked. "Your jinxing capabilities equally terrify me and gets me hard for you."

She looked down where she could see the growing bulge in his slacks. When she bit her lower lip, he cursed and he wanted nothing more than to take her right then and there, in his office, across his desk. The worst part was that he didn't have time to devour her, they needed to get on with the case and he knew that Potter would be on his way by now.

He remembered then that he wouldn't even be able to taste her that evening, because he had promised his mother that he would join her for dinner at some posh restaurant. He cursed again and went over to kiss her thoroughly, that would have to do for now.

It wasn't like he could claim her as his, despite the fact that he very much thought of her as his. They hadn't spoken about the future at all, in her view they could just have fooled around for all he knew, they really ought to speak about that at some point. He made a mental note to bring it up when the occasion permitted it.

And of course, that was the moment that the head auror walked in, mid-snog and all. Potter merely rolled his eyes. "Could you two please keep it in your pants at work? We have things to do and bad guys to catch!" He waved his arms around as he spoke and Hermione just grinned at her friend, but made now move away from his embrace.

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't you start with me Harry Potter." She paused as if contemplating something. "Or maybe I should tell our dead colleagues about that time when I found you and Gin-"

She stopped talking abruptly because Potter had now clamped a hand over her mouth. "Never mind then, let's just get to work and forget it." He was rather red in the face, it made Draco want to know what Hermione had found them doing. Well, he was pretty sure he knew _what_ they'd been doing, but _where_ , that was the question.

Hermione winked at him and smirked at Harry. "As you wish Harry."

* * *

He stood staring at the blank stretch of wall for what seemed like ages. He did many incantations and threw many spells at it, trying to detect where he should focus his efforts. It took him quite a while but he found something, a small round hole the size of a pinhead. It looked like a keyhole to him.

He pondered what to do. He tried using Marietta's wand in vain. It was very well protected and he had no key on her person. He tried pricking her finger and dragging her limp body over to the wall but it wasn't protected by the normal sort of blood magic.

He was just about to give up when he noticed a small green animal scurrying across the large room. He strode over and picked it up. It squeaked a bit but soon calmed under his touch. He had always had a way with animals, be they dragons or bowtruckles.

He held his hand to the small hole and the animal soon went to work on picking the tiny lock. It took about five minutes before he heard a resounding click and a small lever popped out at the bottom of the wall by the paneling. He placed the small animal on his shoulder as he bent down and pulled the lever carefully. A door at the opposite end of the room sprang open.

He smirked. Those little bowtruckles of hers had come in useful in both the dragon business and now in the money business too. He wondered if he should take a couple of them with him. Or at least just the one on his shoulder, it seemed to have warmed slightly towards him as it wasn't currently trying to gouge his eyes out and it was a damn practical animal to have in his line of work.

He opened the door and gaped at the contents inside. Or, more accurately, the lack thereof.

There was only a single pouch filled to the brim with galleons. Their take from one or two of the tills from the latest fight but this wasn't nearly enough. They'd staged at least a dozen fights since they started their scheme and they'd made close to a hundred thousand galleons.

What the hell had that crazy woman done with all of the rest of the heaps galleons that they'd earned?

* * *

They were still in his office and Potter was unfortunately still there. They had filled Potter in on Lavender's information and now they just needed to end this frustrating case once and for all. She was tapping one of those muggle pens against her full lips, it was mesmerizing. "We need to trap Marietta and Jack and I think we can use Jack's brother, don't you think?"

He nodded, her reasoning was sound. "Sure, according to Brown, the brothers do everything together so Jack should be trying to rescue Uwe sooner rather than later. Plus, of course, we have the galleons."

She smirked evilly and they all leaned in as if on cue. She glanced at all of them before putting the pen to the parchment on his desk. "Okay, I have a plan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an important chapter, please let me know what you think about it!  
> HBSJ


	21. Girls night

Honestly, she wasn't sure her plan was actually going to work but they had to give it a go. They had called for a massive press conference in the atrium of the ministry for he next day and they were going to flaunt their captives, the seized money and show the press large pictures of the dragons and eggs along with the state in which they found them. She, Draco, Harry and Charlie even had to endure an interview by bleeding Rita Skeeter. This stunt was going to create a complete media circus about this case, but they needed Marietta and Jack to know that they had it all in their possession and then trick them to come right into their waiting arms. Hopefully.

She sighed and almost slumped into the chair behind her desk. She was tired from her very long day and she knew she had a lot of paperwork to do before seeing with Ginny for dinner and drinks. She almost couldn't wait to crawl into her bed later that evening, tired from her day and from laughing with her friend, probably with a bit of a buzz too.

She sort knew that she was starting miss Draco when he wasn't around but she didn't want to think about that too much. It boded a conversation for them that she wasn't sure if he was ready for yet. She knew he had fun with her and wanted to enjoy the moment but she didn't have a clue if he was actually serious about her. The rumors flying around about him for quite a few years had made him out to be some sort of womanizer, going from one witch to the next without a care in the world. The problem was that she didn't want him going anywhere because she had realized that she liked him. A lot.

She really ought to talk with him about it instead of burying her head in dark depths of the Black Lake. She just needed to scrounge up some of that Gryffindor courage and speak to him when the time felt right. And sooner rather than later because she was truly falling hard for him.

As she wrapped up for the day and walked to the floo, she tried to put those thoughts from her mind. As soon as she was in her flat, she put on some loud upbeat muggle music on her old battered boom blaster and started the shower. She checked her watch, she had forty-five minutes before she was meeting Ginny at eight thirty so she had plenty of time for a dance or two in the shower accompanied by her loud and less than marvelous singing voice. She figured what the hell, there was no one to hear her anyway so she sang her heart out and shook her booty to the beats of the music blaring through her small flat.

* * *

Charlie was nervous, his palms were sweaty and he was fidgeting with the collar of his button up. He couldn't believe that Daphne actually still wanted to go out with him, it felt like a phantom or maybe a trick. He felt deep within his bones that she was just right for him. It scared him a bit but mostly it excited him.

Now he just had to convince her of that too. That was probably going to be the hard part.

They were meeting at the Leaky Cauldron and he wanted to pace about the room but Tom the barman was already eying him suspiciously because of his fidgeting so that was definitely out of the question.

When she arrived however, she looked like something out a dream. He blinked a couple of times to make sure that he wasn't just imagining things but no, there she was. She was dressed simply in a black long-sleeved dress that ended just above her knees, she had on Gryffindor-red shoes and her long blonde hair was flowing freely down her back. Her spectacular sea-green eyes were sparkling when she spotted him and it made him grow hot around his collar.

He wasn't sure what to do with himself but he got up and waited the painfully long seconds before she was right in front of him, smiling enchantingly at him. He resisted the urge to look around behind him to see if it was really him she was smiling at. She was so lovely and sensual and bloody attractive.

He was in big trouble with this one.

"Hello Charlie." She purred. "Or should I perhaps continue calling you sir?" Yep, he was in serious _serious_ trouble.

"Hello Daphne." He smiled and tried to appear much less affected by her than he actually was. He coughed to rid his voice of that damn huskiness. It always seemed to there when Daphne was around. "You can call me whatever you want Daphne." Nope, that husky gravel was still there. Dammit.

She took the last step that separated them and placed both her hands on his chest, ever so slowly she leaned in to kiss his cheek and he just stood there, completely mesmerized. Her lips felt soft and bloody perfect. He felt himself turn to mush and he suggested that they sat before he fell down.

"I can?" She smirked at him, it was sinful to the extreme.

He nodded. "Of course." He cleared his throat a couple of times. He really was sounding rather gravelly.

Her smirk turned to a grin and she leaned in, resting her hands on his thighs. Her face was right there, just a breath away waiting to be kissed. He shook himself mentally to not do anything stupid. "Okay, how about I call you sir in private and Charlie in public?"

His eyes widened and he choked om his beer. And then he started coughing again. She laughed that tinkling laugh that just captivated him. "Okay, I'll stop being so forward. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." She grinned and he couldn't help but smile at her. He wanted to answer but she beat him to it. "I like you Charlie, quite a lot in fact. And I want to get to know you properly." She seemed at bit contrite but her sparkling eyes belied her apprehensive demeanor.

He smiled and took her hand. "I meant it,-" His voice had softened, finally. "-you can call me whatever you like, whenever you like. Because I like you too and-" He grinned. "-I'm insanely curious as to how the hell you leaned how to handle baby-dragons that well."

"Well, I didn't exactly learn in a legal way, so maybe that story should wait until you come back to my flat later? Because I'm assuming that you'll escort me home." The sauciness in that statement almost had him on his knees in front of her.

He grinned. "Why don't we just skip dinner, get takeaway and go there now?"

She shook her head with a smirk. "I think not sir,-" His groin tightened. "you invited me to dinner so we're going to dinner. Mainly to keep up pretenses that you, being pureblood and all like me, have to court me." She winked and leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips. "You know, the _proper_ way." By the gods he wanted more of this woman.

He stood and held out his arm to her as _properly_ as he'd been taught. "As you wish my lady."

* * *

Hermione had decided not to talk about work that evening, so that case and _that_ man would just have to take a backseat to general gossip and fun. It wasn't often that she had these nights, so she was going to make the best of it. They were meeting at Vici before going to the restaurant, Ginny had dropped her last name to get a very late reservation at some very fancy restaurant and it had worked like a charm. Sometimes it was a definite advantage to be married to the Boy Who Lived. Harry absolutely hated all of the attention but Ginny used it to her advantage every now and then.

Susan was behind the bar where they were sitting and she made sure that they were never thirsty. Hermione was having a great time with Ginny, it had been a while since it was just the two of them hanging out. They were talking and laughing about their time at Hogwarts and their last couple of times out, some of those memories were _not_ for Harry to hear.

When there was a short lull in their conversation, Ginny turned somewhat serious. "I went home to mum and dad yesterday by the way, Ron was there."

Hermione's eyes widened and she felt guilty instantly for forgetting all about Ron. She honestly hadn't given him a thought in days between that all-consuming case and Draco. "Oh right, I forgot all about that, he's under house arrest isn't he? What was the sentence for him again?"

"Yeah, he had a right fit when he finally understood what it all meant. He's under house arrest for a full year from the day of the sentencing and during that time he won't be able to use magic, they have fitted his ankle with some sort of magic-cancelling device. It seems like a dead clever invention but Ron hates it."

Hermione rolled her eyes, Ron had never been much for any sort of work. "Of course he does, now he has to do everything by hand."

"I know, he's a right grump these days, mum and dad are trying to get him to come around but he just keeps on sulking. Having dinner there last night was a complete disaster, Ron went off on Harry for arresting him and mum had to force Ron to go to his room. I really hope he'll come around. I don't want him and Harry fighting, it's exhausting."

Hermione couldn't help remember all of those times that she was on the receiving end of Ron's wrath. "Trust me, I know exactly how you feel." She thought about how Ron didn't like being helpless but he also wanted everything to be done for him. He was a complex all in himself. "But why did he choose the Burrow and not the flat he and Lavender live in? He could stay away from his family and do whatever he wants."

Ginny gave her a grimace. "Yeah, but can you imagine Lavender actually cooking?" They both burst into giggles. "Mum's food is way better than hers I'm sure." Ginny snorted through her giggles. "And could you imagine being stuck in a flat on the third floor with only Lavender and no magic? Ugh, no thank you." They both laughed.

"How's it going with him alone with your parents? Are they all getting along?"

Ginny shrugged. "Oh you know mum, she won't accept him being sulky and whiny. She keeps on telling him that he brought all of the misery that he keeps on moaning about on himself. And she gives him endless unsolicited advice. I'm not so sure he thinks choosing the Burrow was the best idea anymore but he can't undo it, the ministry asks you to choose and then you're stuck." She grinned. "And then there's the housework she makes him do. That's my favourite part."

Hermione couldn't stop her answering grin, despite all of her earlier revenge-plans for Ron, it seemed like a fitting punishment. Of course, the Wizengamot didn't really know how Molly would treat him when they'd gone over Ron's case but still, she relished that bit and she couldn't wait to tell Draco about it.

They each hugged Susan before going to the restaurant just down Diagon Alley in high spirits. They had reservations at nine and the Maître d who'd taken Ginny's booking had warned them not to be more than a couple of minutes late. When they arrived and saw the cue outside the restaurant they were both smiling, pleasantly buzzed from their cocktails at Vici and looking forward to a deliciously sumptuous dinner.

The hostess showed them to a table at the far end of the restaurant by a window overlooking Diagon Alley. It was a beautiful space that looked almost like an orangery, every table was full and the interior design was spectacular. There were little lovely details everywhere in the intricate design intermingled with clever magic that made the centrepiece of the room, the ethereal woman painted on a large mosaic, move. She was serenely eating grapes and rearranging her dress and hair every now and then. Hermione was captivated.

They settled into their table happily, both taking in the magnificent room when Charlie walked in with Daphne on his arm, smiling happily at each other. Ginny waved them over and they both grinned when they saw that Charlie had lipstick on both his cheek and his lips.

"What?" Charlie seemed nonplussed as to why they were laughing at him.

Hermione tried to hide her grin and Ginny just pointed. "You got something on your cheek. And on your lips." His eyes widened and he pulled out a handkerchief to fix it, but Daphne took it from him and wiped his face. Their casual interaction in public made her long for that sort of thing with Draco.

Charlie and Daphne went to the table the hostess had taken them to and they'd just ordered their wine and food when an angry shriek made them both turn towards the opposite corner behind Hermione.

She froze.

Everything seemed to ground to a halt.

There was none other than Draco Malfoy on a date with some woman.

_A bloody date?!_

Her heart sank and she just wanted to go home and curl up with Crooks.

She could see Draco looking around, clearly embarrassed by the display his date was making. When his eyes locked with hers, he blanched and she could easily see the horror in his eyes as he got caught.

A couple of tears escaped her eyes before she even realized she was crying. Her eyes were still on Draco's. She thought about trying to breathe but she couldn't. It was like a weight had settled on her chest and she choked out a sob before grabbing her purse and bolting towards the exit.

She needed to get out, to get away, to get anywhere else than that suddenly horribly stifling restaurant.

She ran out into the night towards the apparition point but a few steps before she reached it, a strong hand stopped her and spun her around.

Her heart was breaking and she couldn't do this. She didn't have the strength. Without realizing it, he had grown to become a part of her over the last couple of weeks and now she was crumbling because obviously he didn't feel the same.

She pulled herself together and gave him a hateful glare. She didn't care that he flinched, she didn't care that his eyes had softened when looking at her. She wanted to feel his arms around her, to comfort her, to tell her that it wasn't what she thought but then why hadn't he told her that afternoon? He'd told her that he would go to dinner with his mother, but that was all a lie it seemed.

"Hermione,-" He hesitated, clearly not knowing what to say. "Please don't go, let me explain." He hesitated again. "I…"

Another sob escaped her but she was trying to reign them in. To not fall apart in front of him. To salvage the last of her pride. But is wasn't easy. It was breaking her heart having to do that.

She gave him a few moments to explain but when he stayed silent, she just knew he wasn't going to say anything else. "No Draco." Her voice was gravelly and sad, she just couldn't find the energy to pretend to be strong. She felt so broken. "I'm going home, don't follow me… please." Her voice broke on the last word and her misery showed clearly to the man she'd fallen so hard for in such a short period of time.

Her heart was shattering into a million tiny little pieces.

She took the last step backwards and apparated to her flat, succumbing completely to the sobs raking through her body. She fell into her bed fully clothed and had Crookshanks curled up with her. Tomorrow she would get up and be the strong woman she knew herself to be, both physically and mentally, but for now she needed to cry and feel so very sorry for herself.

Only hours later did she fall asleep with tears still streaming down her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think about the drama in this chapter!
> 
> Also, sorry (not sorry) about the cliffie ;-)


	22. Dinner disaster

Draco was wearing his formal robes, his mother always expected him to look his best when going to dinner, no matter where they were eating. His mother had as usual booked a table for them at the upscale Le Maison, a much sought-after French restaurant in Diagon Alley. When dining in public she always preferred it to be French.

He apparated to a nearby apparition point and walked to the restaurant. There was a cue outside consisting of ten or so people and they all groaned when he announced to the hostess he had a reservation because a missed reservation would have meant a free table for them.

Draco entered the lavish art deco inspired main dining room and was rather shocked to see his mother with someone already at their table in the far corner by a window. She sat with a woman he didn't recognize and it was unnerving. He wasn't exactly thrilled to see that and his suspicion increased when his mother spotted him and waved him over happily.

He narrowed his eyes at her. His mother was _never_ that exuberant in public. What the fuck was going on?

As he approached the table he thought he might recognize the other woman, she was dark haired and had very dark grey eyes, verging on black. He knew those eyes. They were stinging and had a cruel undertone to them. It was the daughter of Evan Rosier who was appraising him. He didn't know her name but he'd know those eyes, he'd know them anywhere.

"Mother,-" He kissed his mother on the cheek, with a rather puzzled expression on his face no doubt. "-what is all this?"

"Draco darling, you'll never believe who I just happened to run in to." He wanted to snort at her, she hadn't _happened_ to run into anyone, this was without a doubt a setup. He knew his mother too well. He merely smiled in answer and she continued. "I present to you, miss Stella Rosier, you may remember her from your youth when you played together on occasion. Miss Rosier, I am pleased to introduce you to my son, Draco Malfoy."

The woman put out her hand forward to be kissed. He did as his upbringing bade him, kissed her hand with a forced "Enchanté." She giggled and he wanted to roll his eyes at her but it wasn't the gentlemanly thing to do so he restrained himself.

To his horror, his mother stood up and grabbed her small purse. He knew what she was about to do before she said it and he wanted to curse her for it. Of course, she didn't know that he was seeing Hermione and that he seriously wanted to make it a proper relationship between them but that didn't stop the annoyance that pierced him. He didn't want to be on a blind date with another brainless babbling pureblood witch and he also wanted to curse himself for not seeing this coming ten miles away. He should have told his mother that he was seeing someone but stupidly, he'd thought about telling her that evening. And now he couldn't tell her because they were in a public space and he was unfortunately spending the evening on a blind date.

He grit his teeth hard and tried to think about the few positives of his current situation. Hermione was spending that evening with Ginny and he was already planning to floo over to hers afterwards and how he would tell her about this disaster of an evening and hopefully to laugh about it with her.

His mother motioned to her seat. "Won't you sit down my darling and talk to miss Rosier? She's had such a troubling time since the war."

He gave her a disbelieving look and sighed, shaking his head slightly. He couldn't get out of this situation without affronting both his mother and the Rosier-woman. Reluctantly, he sat down in his mother's seat and turned towards her, Stella as his mother had informed him.

"Now please enjoy yourselves. This evening is on me." She kissed Draco on the forehead and smiled at Rosier before she left as fast as those towering high heels would let her.

He looked at her properly this time. She was indeed a beautiful woman, dark hair, light skin, small nose, lush lips and a single mole just above her upper lip accentuate her lips and to ensure that a man kept looking her way. However, she wasn't what he wanted, he didn't find her enchanting or interesting in any way and he was certain that he wasn't interested in hearing what she had to say either.

He wanted Hermione and no one else.

After twenty minutes of talking to her, it also became plain that she was about as interesting as a rat. She had the exact same views of the world as her father and her public polite persona vanished as soon as he asked her about her father. Annoyingly, she sounded much like he himself had back in school, talking about revenge, filthy mudbloods and the importance of the purity of their bloodlines. He may have thought that too back then, but he'd learned a lot since then and he wanted to be better than that.

He was disgusted with her and he'd already decided to make some excuse, any excuse after they'd had their main course. He couldn't stand to be in the vicinity of such a scornful person. He'd had quite enough of that during the war. But until then he had to endure it, at least for his mother's sake. _Unfortunately_.

* * *

Draco was dumbfounded.

He stood staring at the place where she had disappeared from in complete disbelief. How the hell had this happened? Everything had just gone disastrously wrong within a matter of minutes. He cursed and swore and wanted to pummel everything in sight.

She'd told him not to follow her. Not to go to her flat but there was nothing that he wanted to do more right this minute. He should have explained. Told her that it was all his mother's fault, that he truly thought he was meeting her for dinner, but he hadn't known how. When he went through the scenario in his head it sounded very much like bullshite. But had he blown it with her now?

No sooner had he made up his mind to go tell his mother off for this horribly misguided stunt, he spotted two redheads barreling towards him. He wanted to flinch at their expressions of anger but he didn't, he just stood stoically and watched as Potterlette yelled at him and the smacked him once and punched him in the face right after.

He didn't know what to do.

Potterlette disappeared and he was left with a bleeding nose and an irate Charlie Weasley glaring at him.

He sank to his knees in the rain. He didn't care that the street of Diagon Alley hadn't been cleaned. He didn't care that his trousers were getting wet and ruined. He didn't care about much of anything really.

Except for the hands that were pulling him upright. Well, it was a couple of very large fists that were curled around the scruff of his neck. "What the hell are you thinking?!" Charlie was shouting in his face. "I thought you were a good man! I can't believe Ron was right about you!"

He sighed. "I was starting to think I was a good man too." He felt defeated and worn.

Charlie pushed him away and he fell onto the cobble street. Like a beggar and still, he didn't care. He didn't know what this emptiness was, he felt hollow and stupid. So incredibly stupid for not just leaving that girl sitting there alone but the manners drilled into him from birth had stopped him from leaving when his mother had left and he sort of hated himself for it now. He'd had every intention of telling Hermione all about it and he'd thought they'd get a good laugh of it. How could he have been so wrong?

"Uhm, excuse me Draco, but what the hell?!" The shrill annoying voice of Stella Rosier pierced his ear and he narrowed his eyes at her.

He started to get up and made a derisive snort. "What the hell, what Rosier?"

Suddenly her demeanour completely changed. "My name is Stella, you know that Draco." Now she was suddenly seductive and coquettish, that woman was a fucking nightmare. Charlie was gaping at her beside him.

He shook his head, he didn't have patience for her mind-games. Not now and not ever. "You know what Rosier? I think our so-called blind date just ended. There won't be a second date. Go home." He turned to Charlie. "I can't go to Hermione and I don't want to go home. I'm going to Blaise and Pansy, please give Daphne my regards and enjoy your dinner."

An angry huff broke the silence. "Are you seriously getting whiny over a fucking mudblood?!" Rosier was looking irate with both hands on her hips.

He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her. "That's none of your fucking business Rosier." His voice was dangerously low. He would not stand for her insulting the one good thing in his life, despite the fact that he may just have lost her.

He gave Charlie a nod before he apparated to Blaise and Pansy's flat, landing directly in their library where he knew they kept the booze. Pansy appeared in the doorway wearing a bathrobe to see who'd come through their floo that late. She narrowed her eyes at him, she knew something was up with him. She knew him almost too well. "Drake? Why are you here drinking our whiskey when you could be drinking your own?"

He shrugged. "I don't want to drink alone tonight. Would you and Blaise care to join me?" He downed a full glass of firewhiskey, welcoming the heat that seared his throat on its way down.

"Fine, I'll go get Blaise but then you need to tell us why you look like a bloody hobo and mysteriously show up in the middle of the night." She stomped away to get Blaise who was startled by her sudden annoyed mood.

As she showed him towards the library, Draco could hear them bicker. "What the hell do we need to go to the library for?" Blaise sounded rather disgruntled to Draco's ear.

Pansy's voice was serious. "Drake's here."

"What? Why's he here now? Shouldn't he be having dinner with Narcissa? That's fucking weird." Blaise entered the library with both hands rubbing his eyes. "Draco, what the fuck is going on with you? Why are you here?"

He was sitting in one of their armchairs and Blaise sat down in the other, followed by Pansy who made herself comfortable on top of her man. "Well, it's rather a long story and, as it turns out, I need your help."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "With what? And why the fuck do you look like you just came out of a trolls arse?" Draco was never anything but cleaned, groomed and put together but right now he probably looked just like he felt. Like utter shite.

He felt weary, his eyes were probably all red and he didn't know if he still had blood on his face. "I blew it. Big time."

"What happened Drake?" Pansy's voice was soft as she waved her wand over him. He felt his clothes dry and she scurgified him, it was a strange feeling not doing it himself.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the onslaught that was sure to come. "Hermione and I have been seeing each other and she caught me at Le Maison on a date with Stella Rosier."

They both stood up abruptly, anger and disbelief radiating from both of them. "What the fuck?!" The onslaught soon began and he was just numb.

"You might just be the dumbest fuck that ever lived because she's obviously the best thing that could EVER happen to you!" That was Pansy.

"Just how fucking stupid could you fucking be?! And by the way, how the _fuck_ did that happen?!" That was Blaise.

He sat listening to their shouting for about fifteen minutes before it abated a bit. He wasn't sure how to explain it but he decided to try.

But before he could say anything, of course, the floo roared to life and Charlie and Daphne came out of the fireplace, anger radiating off them. Now there were four people shouting at him at once and he couldn't actually hear a single thing they said.

Every now and then he caught words like arse, stupid, dumbass, wanker, idiot, fucker (that was mostly Blaise), and douchebag. He agreed with all of them, how could he not? He put his head in his hands, completely defeated and slightly drunk from the two large whiskeys he'd consumed on a mostly empty stomach. He could feel the rumble from lack of food.

Finally Blaise held up his hand and silence reigned once more. It was blessed but his ears were still ringing. He looked around. "How many of you have had dinner?"

Only Pansy and Blaise indicated that they'd had anything to eat.

"Okay, Daph and Pans, you talk to this whiny fucker here and you-" He pointed to Charlie. "-help me put some plates together for all of us."

Charlie followed Blaise out of the kitchen and Draco wasn't so sure that he liked that way of giving out tasks. Pansy and Daphne had very ominous expressions on their faces and he wanted to flinch from them but his rigid upbringing held him stoically in place despite whiskey coursing through his system.

Pansy crossed her arms and glared at him but Daphne seemed to have a different view of what happened. "Draco,-" He could hear the hesitation in her voice, they had never been close like that because of his relationship with Astoria. "-what on earth made you go out with Stella Rosier?"

He groaned and spoke through gritted teeth. "I didn't. My mother did."

Daphne's eyes widened and Pansy snorted. "What the hell… Ohhh." Her mouth had formed a perfect O as the truth had dawned on her. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm guessing your mother set you up?"

He nodded, feeling numb. How the fuck could he have let something like this happen?! He groaned again, he knew he probably looked like a sullen teenager and suddenly he felt like one too.

"Why did you agree to go?" Her voice was softer now as she started to understand.

"Again, I didn't, my mother sprung the blind date on me and left me with Rosier right after she'd made introductions. She doesn't know about Hermione yet, I was going to tell her this evening." He could hear the annoyance in his own voice. Did they really think that he was such an arse?

She huffed and crossed her arms above her chest. "There's no reason for you to get snippy with me, I'm trying to help you here. Why the hell didn't you just tell Hermione that?"

"I don't know, I panicked I think." He groaned again. "I'm so _so_ fucked."

Pansy raised a single eyebrow at him and muttered annoyed. "No shite Sherlock."

He looked up puzzled. "Who the fuck is that?"

She just rolled her eyes. "Never mind." She brushed his question off. "What the hell happened Drake? Why didn't you just tell her?"

"I don't know alright." He struggled to find the right words. "I don't just blurt shit out, you know that. I think and I plan and I make sure that the situation always comes out to my advantage. But somehow, me not saying anything was _much_ worse." He slumped in the armchair. "How the fuck did this happen?" He groaned again, it seemed to be his mantra this disaster of an evening.

Pansy threw her hands up in the air, obviously completely exasperated with him. "Of course you made it worse you stupid fuck! She's a bloody Gryffindor through and through, they make assumptions and deduce stuff that has never been there by you saying something or by you not saying anything at all! She took your lack of an explanation as confirmation that you'd willingly arranged a date with someone other than her and then lied about it, telling her that you were meeting your mother." She snorted and rolled her eyes. "It's bloody obvious what happened and I wasn't even there! Stupid arse." She muttered the last bit and smacked him on the back of his head. He tried to slap her hand away but she was too quick for him.

He wanted to roll his eyes at her explanation but she was right, so for once he refrained. "Okay, fine, I'll admit that I'm a bloody idiot!" The two women nodded their assent. It hurt his ego very much to admit and their agreement stung a bit more than it probably should. He never could shed that ingrained pride.

Blaise and Charlie walked in with plates laden with food which they handed out magically. Only then did he actually realize just how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten anything all day, since that breakfast. That _amazing_ breakfast. "I need to speak with her."

Gods, how his day had soured quickly.

Charlie gave them a short run-down. "I've floo-called Ginny and she's pissed and Hermione has closed her floo and warded off owls, so you just sit tight and eat something, alright?" He smiled at Daphne. "She was rather surprised that I'd ended up in a snakepit but I told her that most of you are alright." He smiled to everyone around and when his gaze landed on Draco his smile faded and he glared at him.

Daphne stood on her tiptoes to kiss Charlie on his cheek. "Don't you worry about Hermione, we will fix this soon enough." He softened at her placating words and Draco wanted to snort, he hoped he'd never have Charlie's sweet-eyed expression on his own face and again, he resisted. He wasn't exactly in the good graces of the people around him and he shouldn't antagonize them. _He shouldn't._ "And Draco actually isn't all that bad. He's a grump, sure but he can be alright and he just told Pans and me that it was his mother that set him up on a blind date."

Charlie continued to glare at him. "Is that true?"

He nodded and fought not to roll his eyes. "Yes, I actually believed that I was meeting my mother for dinner. If you don't believe me, you can ask her when she finds out that I ditched Stella Rosier at the restaurant and she miraculously appears before our eyes to scold me."

Pansy scoffed. "Really Drake? Aren't you a bit too melodramatic now?"

He just shrugged. "You'll see. In these matters my mother is close to omniscient, she always knows where to find me. Also, I may have told Charlie where I was going in front of Rosier, she might mention it."

As if summoned by his words, the floo in the other room activated and a stern voice call out. "Draco?"

He just looked around at them all as he placed his near-empty plate on the side-table. He said quietly to the crowd around him. "I told you, didn't I?" He stood up and tried to correct his clothes, he'd received enough reprimands from the rest of them to ensure that he made a bit of an effort now that his mother was here.

He raised his voice so that it carried to where his mother was. "We're in the library mother."

They heard her heels clacking down the hall and she swept into the room in the same magnificent dress robes she had been wearing earlier. "What in the name of Merlin is the meaning of this Draco Lucius Malfoy? You are enjoying an evening with your friends instead of entertaining miss Rosier? How could you demean the honour of the Malfoy name like this." Her voice didn't sound as angry as her words, so he had a feeling that she was mostly annoyed that he had reneged on a promise that she had made on his behalf.

Despite the whiskey in his system, he held his composure. "Hello mother, it's lovely to see you again so soon. I apologize to you for leaving miss Rosier but I will make no apologies to her. Our dinner was as interesting as eating with Evan Rosier himself, she may have had her mother's looks but she had her father's personality and interests, despite her genteel appearance."

She waved him off. "Very well, I accept your apology, but why would you leave her at the restaurant in such a rude manner?"

He took a deep breath. "Because I've met someone important and she saw me on a date with another woman instead of me being at dinner with my mother, as I told her." He put emphasis on the last sentence, he couldn't tell his mother that it was all her fault because you just didn't say something like that to Narcissa Malfoy. So instead he insinuated it and as sharp as she was, she would always hear what he wasn't saying. "When she saw me and ran out the restaurant, I had to act."

Narcissa eyed him shrewdly. "Miss Rosier kept on and on about a muggleborn. Who is this woman in your life and why in the name of the gods have I not heard of her before now to avoid mishaps like this?" He almost expected her to stomp her foot in frustration but of course she didn't. She would never do something as undignified as stomp her feet.

He let the ghost of a smile grace is lips as he breathed her name. "Hermione Granger, muggleborn and best friend to Harry Potter. The most extraordinary woman I've ever met."

Narcissa sucked in a sharp breath and from the periphery of his vision, he could see Charlie starting to get angry. To Charlie, it probably sounded as if Narcissa was disappointed in her son but Draco knew better. She moved forward and hugged him. "My son, you've fallen for her." She took a step back and caressed his cheek. "She is extraordinary and no witch lesser than that would be worthy of you. My apologies for setting you up like that but I thought better of miss Rosier, she presented herself to me with perfect curtesy." She kissed him on the forehead. "You should have told me about miss Granger sooner." She admonished him.

He nodded. "Well, it's all clear in hindsight, isn't it?"

She narrowed her eyes at him "Don't you be smart with me darling, I will not have you speak to me in that way, despite the fact that you are right. And also, please drink some coffee and eat something, you reek of whiskey and you know that I quite detest drunkards."

He rolled his eyes. "You know I'm no drunkard mother."

Pansy stepped forward as the hostess to divert Narcissa's attention from him. "Narcissa, please let me introduce you to our guests." The witch nodded and gestured to Daphne and Charlie. "You know Daphne Greengrass of course, and this is Charlie Weasley."

Charlie wearily took Narcissa's outstretched hand and kissed it. He cowered under her penetrating gaze and it took a few moments before she spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you mr. Weasley, I have heard many good things about you from my sister, Andromeda Tonks."

Charlie seemed to take it in stride however, because he soon gave her a wide smile. "Likewise mrs. Malfoy."

She mock-shuddered. "Narcissa please dear, mrs. Malfoy reminds me all too much of my mother-in-law." Charlie nodded with a grin.

Narcissa then turned back to her son with a determined look on her face. "Now darling, how are we going to straighten out this mess?"


	23. Subtle threats

Harry was getting ready to floo over to Hermione that morning. He'd heard the whole horrible tale from Ginny's angry rants last night and he thought that he should be there for his friend and what better way than with warm buns and crunchy gooey Danishes from her local and absolute favourite bakery?

He tried to imagine how sad she would be, how hurt. She loved so deeply and wholly that he couldn't imagine how he would find her. He had mentally prepared himself for a sobbing and very tired friend.

When he arrived at her doorstep and let himself in with the spare key however, it was not a sad and moping Hermione he found. He found her greeting him in her kitchen with a wide smile and a quick hug.

She was fast-talking and as upbeat as ever which made him completely nonplussed.

"Harry!" She hugged him tight. "It feels like it's been ages since I've seen you! Come on in! Do you want coffee?" He nodded. "It's in the kettle, I gotta take a shower, are you ready to catch some bad guys today?" He nodded again. "Of course you are, you're always ready for that." She smiled and bounced away into the shower and he was completely confused. Hadn't Ginny said that Hermione was practically distraught just twelve hours ago?

It took her half an hour to get ready and he didn't know what to do with himself. He'd seen them together, she'd been happy with him and as baffling as that may have been, he couldn't explain her over-enthusiastic cheer.

When she returned to the kitchen, all groomed and ready to go, he eyed her suspiciously. "What Harry?"

"Hermione,-" He hesitated. "-are you okay? I mean, after everything yesterday?"

She sat down opposite him and started munching on the nearest bun. "I'm okay Harry. My pride has taken quite a large hit but in general I really am okay."

He gave his most sceptical look in his arsenal and she just smiled an odd serene smile. "I admit, I'm not looking forward to the press conference or the interview today but I'm a professional Harry, I'll handle it. You know I will."

"I know, but I also know that you're upset, I know you are, no matter what you're trying to show me. Ginny told me how devastated you were yesterday and she tried getting owls and floo-calls through to you all night. I may not be Malfoy's biggest fan but I don't peg him for someone who'd do something like this intentionally. Did he explain himself at all?"

He could see her cheery facade slowly crumbling. "He didn't say a word Harry, that's when I knew that he'd done it on purpose." Her voice was quiet and he could hear the hurt that laced every word.

He pulled her into a tight hug "Well, just so you know, I'm here for you. I always will be, no matter what."

She nodded. "Thank you Harry, but I really do think I'll be alright." He thought he might have detected a flicker of something in her eyes but it was gone before he could grasp it properly.

* * *

Hermione was basically functioning on rage and determination. Around Draco she had experienced an array of different emotions but honestly it felt pretty amazing to embrace the strongest of the lot. Anger.

She could feel it bubbling inside her, threatening to spill over at any moment but no, she had other plans for that rage because it was a very specific and focused rage.

She walked briskly to her office and started getting ready for the large press conference they had planned. She might not be able to take her anger out on Draco, ugh! _Malfoy!_ But she _could_ channel her furious energy into this case, _her_ case. The case needed to be solved and there was no one better to talk to than Herbert Redwood, currently held in the cells in the ministry until such time as his sentence was determined by the wizengamot.

After she'd gathered everything she needed, she stomped down to his cell, slammed her casefiles on the table between them, sat down and cocked her head at him. And then she waited. She just peered at him with an expectant look and the longer the silence stretched, the more it was obviously freaking him out.

He was wideeyed but she didn't say a word. "What do you want?" He sounded weary.

After a couple of moments he spoke again. "Why are you here?" Again she didn't answer. It went on like this for a while before she decided to put him out of his misery. Well, somewhat anyway.

From her files, she pulled out an old Hogwarts photo of Marietta Edgecombe and placed it before him. His brows flew into his hairline and he started trembling visibly. She smirked at him and waited again.

He faked bravado that he obviously didn't feel. "You have a picture of some girl, so what?"

Now that she was really looking, she couldn't actually believe that she hadn't seen right through him before now, because he had an indecent amount of tells. He scratched his temple. He fidgeted. He shuffled his feet. He cleared his throat. But he didn't tell her anything and that would simply not do.

"Herbert Redwood." Her voice was laced with supressed rage. "Your cousin is currently on the run from the ministry, we have several companions of the man known as Jack Flame, including his brother, captured and basically all we need now is to catch Marietta and Jack which will only be a matter of time. We have the dragons, the eggs, the money and most of your former co-workers. They're all sitting in your adjacent cells singing like little birds and spilling all of _your_ secrets, so-" She paused dramatically and narrowed her eyes at him. "-what do you know that they don't? What could you possibly know that could in any way lessen your sentence?"

He gulped.

She waited again. But only a couple of moments.

"Uhm, I know where she lives. Now and before."

"Before what? And that is not nearly enough by the way" She was starting to get impatient with the man.

"Before she got crazy. I loved my cousin, she was like a sister to me but _your_ spell did that to her! _You_ did that to her!" He puffed himself up with some sort of righteous anger.

A part of Hermione wanted to refuse what he said but another part thought that his accusation could be used to her advantage. A subtle threat usually went a long way. "And if I did that to her in my fifth year at school, what do you think I could do to you now if you don't cooperate?"

He shuddered and deflated like a popped balloon. "Fine. I'll tell you what you what to know. But only if you promise me to get Mari the mental help that she needs once you catch her. She isn't right in the head anymore and she's been steadily declining the past couple of months."

 _That_ she could give him. She was all for helping someone as unstable as she sounded. "I promise. If you do not hold anything back."

He nodded. "I won't. What do you want to know?"

She raised her pen above the empty parchment on the table. "Tell me about Marietta. Everything."

"She a smart girl, always have been. She got sorted into Ravenclaw and we were all so proud, the entire family. But with the rise of the dark, her mum turned somewhat erratic. She was working at the ministry and she was increasingly putting pressure on Mari to be a good girl, to do as she was told, to not embarrass her mother, to not undermine the ministry and so on. I don't even know what her mum did in there but I don't think she was nearly as important as she made herself out to be."

Hermione was taking notes faster than in McGonagal's transfiguration class, she wanted to get everything he said and she planned to store the memory too, she _had_ to catch Marietta.

"Mari's dad was a merchant of some sort. He imported and exported magical animals and Mari always got to keep one from every shipment and she always chose a bowtruckle. I'm not sure why but she liked them and they usually liked her as she treated them well. I don't think I have to tell you what happened to those that didn't like her." He rolled his eyes at her shudder. "Personally, I didn't give a shite about the little beasts, one of them tried to gouge my eyes out the first time I held one and I haven't gone near them since." His voice was ice cold. It was clear that he didn't give two shites about any magical creatures and she couldn't help but narrow her eyes at him. She took offence on the behalf of helpless magical creatures very easily.

"Anyway, Mari's dad had a lot of shipments and by the time Mari finished Hogwarts, she had a whole horde of them and a large tree-nest for them just outside her room and she always had the window open. I thought it was disgusting but whatever, I didn't have to sleep in there. Mari lives in a large house in Oxford, she used to live there with her parents but now she's alone. Her dad died when his warehouse was raided by death eaters during the war and that stopped their primary income. On top of that, her mum was booted from the ministry when the dark fell, she didn't have anything and it was just her and Mari alone at their house. Her mum wasted away, not eating or drinking much. It took a while before she eventually died. That made something click inside Mari and she's never been the same since."

She just looked at him coldly. It was a sad tale, certainly, but that didn't excuse the crimes any of them had made since. "Go on please. How did that lead to your dragon scheme?" She could hear the ice in her own voice. She usually saw herself as a very sympathetic and empathic person but these people just didn't stir those feelings in her, they were criminals with absolutely no regard for the dragons at all and for that, she didn't let his story get personal to her because this case was already way too close to her heart.

"It happened sort of by chance really. Mari was playing with her animals one day and a guy from the wizarding village close by came round when I was there. He had a way with those little beasts too and they started a bet of which of them could first get their chosen bowtruckle to open a small box. Mari just chose one at random but the boy, George, he took his time in his choosing and in the end he won. Mari didn't take it well but after a rather intense shouting match, they both calmed down. George told us he was going to Romania to work with the dragons and Mari suggested how insanely cool it would be to release the dragons. George didn't think so but either way, they kept in touch with Mari always being the dominant one. He even started calling her ma'am at one point."

"A couple of years later we went out and Lavender had some dude with her. To me he looked like a beast of a man but he turned out to be surprisingly clever. We started talking and within a few days we had formed the basis of our plan. Lavender didn't know much about it, but she did receive a small percentage of the takes from every fight into her account at Gringotts as a thank you for making it all possible. Say what you will about Mari, but she's fair to her friends." He shrugged like it was no big deal.

Hermione was shocked. Completely and utterly blown out of the water.

Lavender was paid a percentage of the takes from _every single fight_?! She actually made money off of the gore and misery that was the dragon fighting pits?!

That explained a lot. It explained why Ron seemed so in the dark about all of it and why every one of her ministry co-workers on the case had a inkling that Lavender wasn't telling them the entire story. She'd made herself look better, like someone who hadn't known, who had only unwillingly been at the place where the plan initially had been hatched.

She forced herself into action. As she stood, she said, "My apologies. I will she back soon, I'll have someone bring you lunch while you wait." As she whipped out the door, she instructed the auror outside to order food for Redwood. She practically ran down the corridor. She had to hurry because Lavender was going in front of the Wizengamot in just under an hour and Draco, no… _Malfoy_ was going to recommend a lenient sentence. That had to be seriously re-evaluated.

* * *

The man named George was stretched to the limit. It was evening and he walked briskly to his flat in the village, always looking over his shoulder and nervously peering into every alley he walked by. There were a massive presence of French and Romanian aurors in both the village and the sanctuary and he had to work very hard to keep his animals hidden. They were swarming the place, trying to keep the dragons both safe and hidden from the rest of the world.

It had all seemed to go wrong when that dragon had moved and a massive angry female Ukrainian Ironbelly had almost destroyed most of a tranquil French village. It wasn't going to work anymore. It was time.

His job had seemed so easy at first. He enjoyed working with the dragons and the fact that he always carried a bowtruckle or two on him, had made the dragons somewhat used to their presence. He had ten bowtruckles in all, each was named for their number, One, Two Three and so on. His favourite was Eight, who was currently relaxing in his shirt pocket.

He hadn't heard from Marietta, Herbert or Jack in a while now. In too long actually. They had probably been caught and then it would only be a matter of time before he would be arrested. He wasn't going to go down with them and he definitely didn't fancy a stint in Azkaban, so he started packing immediately. His get-out-plan was still in place and the illegal portkey was still in his drawer. He moved as quickly and silently as possible, as he hurried to pack all of his essentials. He shrunk his suitcase and all other items he could to fit in his coat pocket, grabbed a large bag of gold from underneath a loose floorboard, grabbed the cage with the rest of his highly trained branch of bowtruckles and touched the wooden spoon that would transport him away.

He had less than a second to look around his flat before the tug behind his navel sent him whirling away from the Romanian dragon sanctuary, away from what was sure to be a complete mess and towards sunshine, forests, mountains and a new life where he didn't have to hide neither himself or his bowtruckles.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy was not a woman to be trifled with. When she made something her mission, nothing could or would stop her. Not her sister, not her husband and certainly not the Dark Lord who, inadvisably, had put her son in danger in the first place.

Narcissa had always acted how she saw fit for her family, she did nothing if it did not benefit her family in some way. Well, usually at least, every now and then she could have some beneficent lapses. The fact that she absolutely spoiled Teddy and her elves had didn't really shake that core belief. They were a part of her family too of course.

Now however, it was she who had been the primary source of her beloved son's anguish. And that would just not do.

As soon as she returned home that evening, she dispatched an owl to miss Granger but unfortunately it returned immediately and she had to rethink her approach. She knew very well that they had that interview the next day, perhaps she should interfere there? Afterall, she did have some friends rather high up in most of the wizarding publications.

She walked about in her magnificent rose garden with a recognizable smirk on her face as the plan started forming in her head.

* * *

She stomped through the halls of the ministry as fast as she could without actually running and when she got to his floor she had to just take a few deep breaths. She didn't want to see him so soon. She didn't want to deal with him but in this case she knew that she just couldn't avoid him.

His door was closed but she barged into his office without a second thought. What she saw in there made her come up short. There he was, hugging some girl. _Cuddling_.

It was like a punch right in her solar plexus and she felt winded and tired all of a sudden. She was angry at him for being out on a date and not at least having the curtesy of telling her the truth but she didn't realize that he actually had the nerve to bed one of his colleagues right after they had, well, for lack of a better word, _fucked_.

They sprang apart when they heard the door but the damage had been done, she'd seen it all. His look of horror was all she needed to confirm her suspicions, he wanted her for sure, but he didn't _only_ want her.

The girl, or more accurately, woman, gave her a timid smile and turned to Draco, grr… Malfoy. "Thank you Draco." And then she left without another word.

He was pale and he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Hermione, I-"

She held up her hand. "I don't want to hear anything from you. I am not here to discuss our personal matters. Which are non-existent by the way." Her voice was as cold and aloof as she could possibly make it. However, she could tell that he wasn't fooled by her cold demeanour. He knew very well that he'd upset her again.

He tried to argue and she silenced him wordlessly but he kept on trying to convey something to her. She just wanted him to stop and she could feel her magic crackling angrily around her. "Shut up Malfoy!" His eyes widened but at least he stopped trying to speak. She knew he could easily remove her spell wordlessly but he hadn't yet, she wondered about that. She crossed her arms at her chest and narrowed her eyes at him. "Will you listen now?"

He rolled his eyes but he perched on the edge of his desk and motioned for her to go on.

She huffed. "Fine. You can't recommend a lenient sentence for Lavender."

He cocked his head and made a silent motion. _Why?_

It was weird that way that she understood him even when he didn't move his lips. "I've just spoken at length with Herbert Redwood-" He frowned, no doubt thinking that I should have informed him or Harry about going to see him. "-and he just informed me that Lavender have been getting regular payments deposited into her Gringotts account after every fight. A sort of thank you for introducing all of them. She's been making a percentage off every single fight. I wouldn't exactly call that being in the dark about the illegalities of the fights, she knew precisely what she was doing when she brought Ron to those fights."

He pointed to his mouth and she reluctantly removed the spell. He flexed his jaw theatrically before piercing her with an indifferent glare. He hadn't said a word yet but it sent her heart pounding frantically. "We need time to investigate this, to go through the account records from Gringotts." His voice was cold, businesslike and foreign to her now. He stood up. "We need more time to go over this, I'll inform the Wizengamot."

They hadn't been involved for that long but now his cold hard veneer of a façade made him seem like a complete stranger to her and she positively ached to get the real him back. But she couldn't. She _shouldn't_. He's a bad man, wicked to the bone and he'd only end up breaking her heart. Again. She tried to chant it over and over to herself but it didn't seem to be working.

Just before he was out of sight he turned around and the air seemed to evaporate from her lungs. His veneer had dropped for a moment and his eyes held _everything_ in them.

His anger, fears, hopes, wants and longings and she was drowning in them but his voice was strong and steady when he spoke, as if he'd just come to a decision. "Just so we are clear, you and I are _not_ done talking. I am _not_ the man you make me out to be and I am _not_ letting you go that easily." Before the air returned to her lungs, he was gone.


	24. The press conference

Draco was aggravated. Not only had Hermione seen him out on a date with someone else, catching him in a very much unplanned lie when he'd told her he was at dinner with his mother but now she'd also seen him comforting Anna, a colleague who had just returned to work after losing her wife in a tragic accident. Both situations were, in reality, very innocent and he was annoyed that Hermione's reactions had been so rash.

Then again, maybe he did understand her somewhat. She was a Gryffindor through and through and her instincts probably told her to judge the situation quickly on the information apparent to her. Unfortunately, that made it necessary for him to dig out his own perhaps-existing daring, something that did _not_ come naturally to him. He had to make her understand why he hadn't just ditched Rosier on that mockery of a date and why he was hugging Anna because if she understood, then she would see that it was nothing to blow up about.

As he walked towards the atrium, he felt drained but determined because this experience had put his bloody _feelings_ into sharp relief for him. He wanted her all to himself. She was _his_ and now he just had to persuade the stubborn witch about that very important fact.

If he could that was. With her, _nothing_ was certain. At least not when it came to him.

To distract himself, he'd spoken to the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, who had agreed that Lavender's hearing should be postponed. Telling the woman herself afterwards however, had been somewhat chaotic.

She had, for lack of a better word, lashed out. Her face had contorted in rage and she launched herself at him with a ferociousness he never would have anticipated from the gossipy bint. Seeing as there were two aurors in the room with him at the time, that only increased the severity of the charges against her and it was looking ever more likely that she was going to Azkaban. He couldn't bring himself to care, she'd brought that down on herself by not being honest.

He sent auror Boot and two people from his legal-team to go through her entire Gringotts account and they had warrants to cross check that she didn't have any hidden accounts. He was sort of looking forward to informing Brown of the outcome of that investigation.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy was a woman used to getting her way. It was just a thing that came with being brought up like she had, and of course being a Black descendent and a Malfoy wife did not hurt that firm perception. Certainly, since the war some of those things had changed and she'd had to adjust, but in general she always got her way, one way or another.

Another important thing about Narcissa Malfoy was that she didn't much like to admit that she had been wrong. It just didn't rub her the right way to apologize, which was why some people of the wizarding community still shunned her, even after all this time. She just couldn't seem to relate her regret properly to those who didn't really know her. And not many did.

That, of course, made it much more difficult for her to interfere with her son's life, which was why she had arranged that lovely dinner for Draco and miss Rosier. She had met the girl at a small soiree at the Parkinson Estate and she had been charming and polite.

It could also be said about Narcissa Malfoy that she prided herself in seeing through people, something she usually did to perfection. Except in this case which absolutely rankled her. Now that Narcissa really thought about it, she knew she had been hoodwinked because when she first laid eyes on the girl, her base instincts told her not to further the acquaintance. However, the girl obviously knew how to ingrain herself to her, talking quietly about how she yearned to find love and for a family of her own. It was the right buzzwords, because Narcissa longed for grandchildren to fill the manor.

And that was probably the weakest point Narcissa had, seeing her son happy and with grandchildren. Truly happy.

So she had ignored her instincts and set up a blind date between the charming girl and Draco, which unfortunately had quite disastrous consequences as it had sent miss Granger running away from him.

What if miss Granger was the one for Draco? And she was the one who had ruined it?

No.

Categorically no.

She would fix it. _Somehow._ Give them a chance to talk at the very least. Then the rest would be up to Draco. It such a simple thing as Draco having dinner with someone sent her running, then they probably needed to talk. She had no idea how serious miss Granger was about her son, but seeing Draco's expression after locating him at Blaise Zabini's apartment, she knew that he was deeply invested in her, even if he might not realize it himself.

She had spoken to several of her contacts regarding the interview that were to be conducted today and unfortunately, no one was interested in helping her. Well, all but one.

It was probably not the ideal person but she was efficient and always to the point. So Narcissa made a deal with Rita Skeeter, who unfortunately had a thorn in the side for both Draco and miss Granger.

She would bring up their secret liason during the interview to rattle them and to force them to decide what they had to do about it between them. In return, miss Skeeter would be granted an in-depth interview with Narcissa about her life since the war. Additionally, should their relationship result in an engagement, miss Skeeter would be granted an exclusive engagement interview, provided that the couple or Narcissa had the final seal of approval over the contents of the article.

It was quite a gamble and by the gods she hoped that this would work.

* * *

Hermione wasn't sure what to do with herself. What did Dra… Malfoy mean when he said that sentence. That equally heart-wrenching and domineering sentence. _Just so we are clear, you and I are not done talking. I am not the man you make me out to be and I am not letting you go that easily._ She shivered. She absolutely loved the way his dark-timbered orders made her feel. No, how it _had_ made her feel. Past tense. Certainly not now. Surely?

It reverberated around her head over and over. She couldn't think about much else so when her assistant Sofia called that she should make her way to the atrium, she just wanted to run in the opposite direction.

She took a deep breath and tried desperately to focus. Now was not the time to consider personal matters, they could do that when this insane case was over and done with.

In the atrium a great many members of the press were setting up. A podium beside the fountain in the centre had been erected and four large magical banners behind the podium was covered under a cloth. Hermione was standing in the shadows watching the proceedings and trying to gather her wits. She knew they would be bombarded with questions and the amount of aurors present had her on edge. Harry had insisted on having a great many aurors there, just in case that Marietta and Jack tried something, which they very easily could if they were disguised as a member of the press.

She looked anxiously around the assembled reporters but she didn't spot anything suspicious. She shook her head at herself, of course she didn't. Harry's aurors had checked all of them thoroughly. All of them had to show their press credentials as they arrived. Unfortunately, that didn't rule out polyjuice potion, which meant that they needed to… Okay, she took a deep breath and chided herself that she had to get out of this mode. To try not to be on top of every single miniscule little detail of the press conference. Because she knew logically that she couldn't do everything herself. Unfortunately.

She took her place behind the podium, standing bolt upright and trying to ignore all of the questions already thrown in her direction.

Malfoy walked briskly towards her with a determined expression and, with his back turned to the press, said quietly, "Brown isn't going anywhere today, we're investigating her accounts." She stiffened at his proximity, he was so close. Her senses was assaulted by his scent, his self-satisfied smirk and his eyes _burning_ into her own. So she did the most rational thing she could think of, she took one step back.

She swallowed and tried to focus. "Thank you for the information. Who is investigating her?"

"I sent Boot along with Gowan Andrews and Anna Holden from legal to Gringotts, so thats one auror and two from lawyers armed with warrants taking on the secretive goblins at the bank." He smirked. "I think they'll find exactly what we're looking for and that catch Brown in her deceptively innocent lies." His tone was smug and she couldn't help agreeing with him, Lavender had known about all of this all along. She deserved some form of punishment at the very least.

The minister arrived and as they turned towards the podium, Draco – _no, Malfoy_ reflexively placed his hand on the small of her back and they both jumped apart in surprise. Her cheeks were positively burning and his showed the faintest of pink spots.

He mumbled a hasty apology and almost sprinted to the podium, which left Hermione to wonder what the hell was going on. Her back felt like it had been marked by his hand in _such_ a good way and she groaned.

Why couldn't this… whatever it was between them, be a bit easier to dismiss?

* * *

Minister Shacklebolt stood and welcomed the press in his deep resounding voice. "Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming. As we briefly informed you in the press release, we have diligently been following up on the highly dangerous case regarding the released Hungarian Horntail in the centre of London. Thanks to our excellent lead investigators, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy along with head auror Harry Potter,-" There were a lot of clicking cameras pointing in their direction and the flashes left the room in a cloud of seemingly permanent dust. "-we have captured most of the perpetrators and their entire cache of dragons and cash. Thanks to dragonologist Charlie Weasley, the dragons have been properly attended and cared for. The location of their now infamous international dragon fighting rings have been seized and cleaned out along with all the supplies they could possibly need."

The most zealous of the reporters present started pelting the minister with questions but he merely held up his hand for them to stop. "Before you start pelting us with questions about the remaining perpetrators at large, then yes, we do know who they are and how many of them there are and no, we will not release their identities to the public at the current time."

He turned around and gestured for them to stand. "Now, you are welcome to ask me some questions, otherwise I will turn over the floor to Hermione, Draco, Charlie and Harry."

Rita Skeeter stepped forward, of course. "Excuse me minister,-" Her acidic voice pierced the cavernous room. "-is there any truth to the persistent rumours that Ronald Weasley and Lavender Brown have been captured by the ministry?"

He glanced at the three of them and Potter sighed and gave him an almost imperceptible nod while he moved forward. "I will redirect that question to the head auror, Harry Potter." Shacklebolt continued. "I will now leave you in the very capable hands of this team. If you have further questions for me, please contact the undersecretaries of my office." The minister withdrew himself to the back of the podium and returned to his office along with two of his undersecretaries.

Potter was left alone at the front of the podium. He took a deep breath, clearly steeling himself. "That would be correct."

Skeeter's calculating eyes narrowed and she immediately threw a horde of questions at them. "Mr. Potter, how does that make you feel? Are you sad? Or angry at the ministry maybe? Miss Granger, is this the result of some sort of misguided jealousy of their relationship? Mr. Malfoy, would you say you are happy about having to deal with these prisoners?" These questions were intermingled with the general air of chaos amongst the press following Harry's affirmation. Skeeter was just the one with the most piercing and annoying voice of them all.

All he could hear was Potter's uncertain "Uhm…" and that would just not do, so he stepped forward, he was sick of the press, especially Rita Skeeter, having the upper hand during these press conferences.

He merely cleared his throat and soon they had all quieted down while Potter gratefully stepped back to Hermione and Charlie. "Miss Skeeter, there will be no answers to any sort of personal questions during this press conference and I believe that you could possibly jeopardize your rights to an exclusive interview afterwards if you keep walking down that road." She looked like she'd just sucked on a lemon. _Good._

He cleared his throat. "Now, back to the business at hand." He kept his voice brisk and informative to keep them on their toes. Out of his eyes, he could see the three of them taking a seat behind him, indicating that they were fine with him running the show for now. He waved his wand and the first magical banner was revealed, first showing an adolescent Ukrainian Ironbelly crouched in its too small cage and beside that, a crouched Antilopean Opaleye in a similar situation. "This is the state of the cages in which the dragons were kept. As you can see, there wasn't much room for any of the dragons to move around. Furthermore, they were being starved and taught by the keepers that the only way to get food was to fight the other dragons for it."

He revealed the second banner and a hush came over the crowd. It showed a dead carcass of a small goat and ten or so very young dragons squabbling and fighting over the scraps before the camera turned towards the eggs. All they could hear was a few cameras clicking. "This is the state of the hatchlings' area. As you can see, they were indeed taught to fight for their food from the very beginning."

"Everyone of these dragons and eggs are en route or have already been returned to Romania safely, we have been so fortunate as to have an on-site trained dragonologist, Charlie Weasley in Britain as this case unravelled and he has been indispensable in caring for the dragons." Charlie grinned and waved to the press who were frantically taking pictures of him. They could tell that this case was a big fucking deal.

He waved his wand again and the third banner was revealed. It showed the room filled with the disciplinarian tools. "This-" He paused for effect. "-was their so-called training devices." He couldn't keep the sneer from his voice. "The dragons were tortured on a daily basis. We know that the organizers of this are magical but we also know that they had muggles working for them. They were the ones who had the day-to-day care of the dragons." A sharp intake of breath ran through the room. "As you know, dragons are highly magical beings and thus, not much that a muggle can do, has any effect on them. But these devices were made for the torture of young dragons and so, the animals were kept in an atmosphere of mainly dominance and fear."

A last wave and the fourth banner was revealed. "This is the mountain of galleons that we have seized. They will be counted and catalogued as any other seizure however, they will not just be deposited into the ministry accounts. The confiscated money will have purpose. Mainly thanks to the people behind me, they will be used to cover the cost of the damage that the perpetrators have caused. At least until we catch them."

A mass of hands were in the air but no one spoke, just in case they missed some of the vital information he threw at them with regularity. He pointed to a weedy man from a Scottish magazine, intentionally ignoring Rita Skeeter at the very front of the group.

"Mr. Malfoy, this is all very impressive but can you tell us what two celebrated heroes of the Second Wizarding War have to do with this gruesome case? Why have they been arrested?"

He nodded. "I can. They were brought in because they were betting on the dragon fights." Another gasp reverberated through the room and quills scribbled frantically on parchment. He continued. "You see, the perpetrators arranged dragon fights in a magically protected lowered ring where you could spend your evening drinking, laughing, betting and watching dragons tear each other apart for a single piece of meat. Mr. Weasley and miss Brown betted on the outcome of those fights and that would be aiding to commit animal cruelty. Additional people who have attended the fights are already on our lists and will be brought in as soon as they can be located. As you can imagine, it's a rather long list."

He paused to let it sink in. "Mr. Weasley have already been before the Wizengamot and he has received a sentence of house arrest. Miss Brown however, is still held here at the ministry as we process her case, along with the co-operators and muggles we have captured. I cannot further discuss their specific cases at the current time."

He could see Rita Skeeter becoming calculative again and he nipped that right in the arse. "Neither will be available for interviews and yes, this included difficult decisions for my colleagues but both miss Granger, mr. Potter and mr. Weasley have handled this case very professionally. None of us have let our personal feelings interfere with this case." She looked like she wanted to stomp her feet. _Good._

A man with bloodshot eyes suddenly ran forward yelling and pointing an accusing finger at him. "You said she would only get a slap on the wrist! You lied to us!" Draco recognized the man as Brown's father and he looked positively deranged.

Draco smiled benevolently, he never lied if he could help it, because he never made promises that he couldn't keep or without provisions. "Mr. Brown, I thank you for joining us. We still have some unresolved matters regarding your daughter, if you would be so kind as to follow the auror behind you, I will be with you shortly." He nodded with a desperate expression and was led away by the auror.

Skeeter stepped forward, smelling a possible scandal immediately. Her voice had a very distinct vitriolic undertone. "But mr. Malfoy, have you not properly informed the family of the prisoners?"

He smirked at her and she looked clearly unnerved by it. "As miss Brown is an adult, she is the one who chooses how many of her actions in this case her family will be informed of and how detailed that information will be."

Skeeter huffed and narrowed her eyes at him. He didn't give a shite. He put his hand behind his back and gestured for Hermione, Potter and Charlie to get up there with him. They stood side by side with serious faces in front of the four magical banners about the case and the flashes from the cameras were blinding.

Draco just knew that it was the money-shot for the gathered press and it was basically what they'd come to the ministry for. There were a few follow-up questions regarding the case, where the fights had been held, how many dragons, eggs and their age and how they were being transported safely back to Romania. Between Hermione, Potter and Weasley, all of the questions were answered calmly and professionally.

The reporters had a lot of material for their articles and Potter practically shooed them on the way to the interview, saying that the four of them _just_ had to deal with Skeeter for about an hour before they could get properly back to work.

He wanted to groan. Goddamn famous last words.


	25. The interview

Hermione watched as Draco walked to the side room after the press conference to talk to mr. Brown. Dammit, _Malfoy_. Somehow, between his perplexing touch and his expert handling of the press conference and Rita Skeeter in particular, she had started to think of him as Draco again.

That was rather inconvenient, considering the fact that they had to spend about an hour in the vicinity of a woman who was trained in sniffing out secrets. Who also had absolutely no qualms making some stories up either if she didn't find what she was searching for. And who notoriously held grudges, having no trouble throwing her adversaries under an angry trampling hippogriff if it was to her advantage somehow.

And Hermione did not try to kid herself. Rita Skeeter absolutely _loathed_ her.

She pushed her mild softening towards Draco away and walked to the conference room where she took her seat between Charlie and an empty seat. As it was primarily her and Draco's case, they sat in the middle with Charlie beside her and Harry beside Draco, _ugh, whatever_. Rita was setting up, fussing with the photographer about the best angles and so on.

The relative silence was deafening and she couldn't stop her fidgeting as they waited. Only ten minutes later when Draco walked back into the room did Rita finally sit down and sigh in her signature dramatic fashion.

Hermione wasn't sure what she thought about their seating arrangements. When they had talked about it, it made sense but not now. Not when she felt like _this_. Draco felt far too close. Much _much_ too close. Every time she moved, she could feel his arm rubbing against her own and his scent was equally intoxicating and distracting. It sent shivers up and down her body. She didn't know what to do with herself. She felt overheated and flushed merely because of his proximity. She wanted to fan herself but of course, she couldn't, so she desperately maintained a calm exterior demeanour despite her inner turmoil.

Rita narrowed her eyes at each of them. "Where to start, where to start?" She trilled, obviously trying to contain her glee at being granted this exclusive interview. "This case is spectacular and extraordinary in _so_ many regards. From former enemies working closely together to a fully-grown dragon practically tearing down a village in France. Let's start with the basics. Would you please introduce yourselves? It's just a formality of course."

They shrugged and Harry started. "I'm Harry Potter, head auror."

She interrupted when Draco opened his mouth to speak. "The Chosen One, the saviour of the wizarding world and the youngest head auror to ever grace the halls of the ministry!" Draco smirked at Harry's scowl and she couldn't stop the small quirk of her own lips either.

Harry rolled his eyes and his answer was curt. "You asked me to introduce myself and now I have. Draco?"

For interview purposes they had agreed to use each others first names, it sent a good signal and to be honest, none of them had any lingering grudges from the past anymore. Now they just had to deal with the more recent developments between them.

And she had to deal with her bloody treacherous body.

Draco nodded. "I'm Draco Malfoy, senior researcher in the Department of Magical Law."

Rita merely gave him a simpering smile before her sharp eyes turned to herself. She cleared her throat and kept her voice as even as possible. "I'm Hermione Granger, senior researcher and deputy head in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

Again, Rita spewed her nonsense. "The Golden Girl, the brightest witch of her age and just all-around good girl, aren't you?" Rita said the last bit through clenched teeth, no doubt recalling how she had imprisoned her in a jar and then blackmailed her years ago. Hermione just gave her a sugary-sweet smile in answer, refusing to rise to her bait.

Charlie nodded, satisfied that the attention had now moved to him. "Well, I'm Charlie Weasley,-" He had an ease about him that made her very happy that Charlie had joined them in the interview. He knew better that any of them how to keep a cool head in truly crazy situations. Plus, he knew very well how to recognize and adapt to a hostile presence around him. "-and I'm a dragonologist at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary."

"Mr. Weasley. Let's start with you then."

Charlie grinned. "Yes, let's. I'm by _far_ the most interesting person here." His grin took up his entire face and even Rita quirked her lips slightly.

"What, pray tell, where you doing in this country when a dragon attacked in central London? It was rather convenient that you were here, was it not?" Her question seemed innocent but Hermione knew differently.

Actually, she wanted to groan. Rita was obviously on the war-path with them and she had a feeling that they weren't going to like the articles resulting from this interview. But Kingsley's office had arranged it so she tried to keep her temper in check and a bland expression on her face.

Charlie just nodded, completely unfazed by her bile. "Yes, it was very convenient, I was already here working on the case with Hermione and Draco. They needed someone who knew about dragons and when they captured that Hungarian Horntail it was truly injured. Thankfully it has been treated and is with others of its kind now."

"And how could it _possibly_ have escaped?" It seemed she was asking the room at large before focusing on Charlie again. "Do you have _any_ speculation as to how that might have happened? And in a muggle area too. It must have been _very_ distressing for everyone involved."

Charlie shook his head sadly. "All of our sympathies goes out to the muggles both here and in France who sadly lost their lives. That will always be the most horrible results of these vicious and unnecessary fights. But the Horntail and the other captive dragons were incredibly distressed by their ordeal, they were starved and tortured on a daily basis. Most dragons do not attack a human to eat it, a dragon usually only attacks in self-defence but these dragons were desperate and agitated."

Rita gave him a savage smile. "Do you know how the Horntail might have escaped?"

"As of now, no we do not. We have a possible idea that it might have been set free deliberately to keep us focused on the dragon and to divert attention from their facility. Which obviously failed spectacularly." Charlie grinned.

Rita expelled a small irritated huff, clearly not pleased with Charlie's easy handling of her questions before she turned to Draco. "Now, mr. Malfoy, you are notorious for _so_ many reasons, how did you find working on a case with the entirety of the Golden Trio involved? And the Weasley-family too?" She added, almost as an afterthought. "The Malfoy-Weasley feud is, _of course_ , widely known throughout our world. That must have quite shocking for you having to deal with _so_ many of them."

Draco only cocked his head at Rita but otherwise kept his expression completely even. "I have no problem working with anyone. I endeavour to treat them with the same professional courtesy as they would treat me. It presents no problem for me."

"And how would you say you have been treated by your peers. Have they capitalized on the uneven backgrounds that exists between you?"

Draco smirked but otherwise didn't visibly reacted to her question. "I have been treated with professional curtesy and respect. Just as I have treated them."

Hermione's treacherous thoughts turned to several very un-professional moments between her and Draco, and they were all making her core clench with need. That particular morning on his kitchen island came to mind and she felt her pulse begin to race. Another one was the first day of their working on the case when he'd gotten an eyeful of her thighs. She squirmed in her seat and she could see Draco cough slightly, clearly trying to mask something too. She just hoped that her reaction wasn't visible on her cheeks.

Rita's scrutinizing eyes turned to her and she straightened her spine, preparing for the inane questions she sometimes had to endure from the press-witch. "Miss Granger, this case was passed to you as it grew from a simple follow-up to a larger investigation and has since grown to unprecedented proportions. How do you plan to end it?"

"As soon as possible with as few casualties as possible." She smiled briefly before continuing. "This case started out as a case that was dealing with a dragon egg smuggle ring but now it has escalated into an international dragon egg smuggler- and dragon fighting ring with muggle fatalities, it is something we do not take lightly. We did not anticipate that when we started the investigation."

"And how do _you_ feel,-" She paused with a expression. "-working alongside mr. Malfoy?"

Hermione felt personally affronted at the question. She was clearly implying that Draco hadn't been truthful in his answers. She tried to contain the huff but failed somewhat and Rita smirked at having gotten to her. But she decided to make it clear to everyone still doubting Draco, he had changed from the misguided teenager he once was. "Draco have been absolutely indispensable for us on this case. That was why I called him in to help me as soon as I realized the magnitude of what I was dealing with. I have enjoyed working with him and would do so happily on future cases."

Rita narrowed her eyes at her. "Have you had any animosity to deal with during your working relationship with mr. Malfoy?"

It couldn't exactly be called animosity. It was more of a banter-thing they had going, baiting each other with slight jabs, which had sort of led to their spectacular couplings. It hadn't been much, before it had all gone askew that evening but it felt like more. It felt like it had lasted a lot longer. But maybe that was because she still felt it. She could still feel him ingrained on her and she _wanted_ to feel tainted. She _wanted_ , rationally, to get him out of her system. To rid herself of him. But she knew that her heart wasn't in it. And then what was she to do?

She shook off her mental ramblings and threw Rita a syrupy-sweet smile. "None whatsoever." She might have problems with Draco but she didn't want to give Rita any ammunition in her reckless pursuit of nastiness. It was to both Harry and Draco's credit that neither of them reacted to her words in any way.

Rita smirked and she was particularly unnerved by it. "Actually, there have been some very persistent rumours about yourself and mr. Malfoy. Concerning the very opposite of animosity."

Hermione stiffened visibly, but she tried to school her face and shrugged lightly. "I haven't heard of any rumours, please enlighten me." She fought to keep her tone pleasant. Somehow, this woman always had a way of creeping under her skin.

"There is chatter here and there that you are letting your personal feelings towards mr. Malfoy influencing the way you handle this case. But the most interesting is that your feelings towards mr. Malfoy seems to have changed completely from your time at school. The former hate have turned to something different." She paused and gave her a knowing look. "Something more."

Hermione shook her head. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could she Draco shift slightly beside her. "No. Unequivocally no."

"Indeed?" Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "I am told that the two of you looked _quite_ cosy at the bar in Diagon Alley known as Vici some evenings ago. Are you quite certain?" Rita gave her a piercing stare, clearly daring her to refuse again.

Draco cut in, she wasn't sure why but she was grateful for the interruption. "Miss Skeeter, as you have been told, we will not answer personal questions during the interview so I believe we are ready for your next question."

She smirked with a glint in her eyes. "Oh no mr. Malfoy, you said no personal questions during the press conference."

He shrugged but his eyes were hard. "Semantics." He said nothing else and just gave her a blank stare.

She tilted her head questioningly. "I see. So you will give me leave to come to my own conclusions?" Her smile seemed evil in the extreme as her Quick-Quotes Quill whizzed across the parchment suspended beside her.

He just repeated himself a bit more forcefully. "As I told you, no personal questions."

Hermione couldn't stop the slight tremble that ran down her spine at his tone and she cursed her disloyal body. Beside her, she felt Draco stiffen slightly at her movement and his mouth hitched the tiniest amount. It made her set her mouth in a disproving pout. She didn't want him amused or aroused at her expense.

At least, she was quite sure she didn't want that. Wasn't she?

Unfortunately that short exchange gave them no choice but to speak about it, or at least to agree on some sort of front between them. Rita sounded very determined to write extensive articles about them and the wanted to bash her head on the walls in frustration. She didn't what to talk to him right now, she was too.. Too _something_!

 _Of course_ nothing had to be easy.

 _Of course_ she couldn't just be rid of him.

And _of bloody course_ she couldn't just cleanse her body of her need for him. His proximity attested to that. She was much too aware of him.

Blissfully unaware of Hermione's inner chaos, Rita huffed and seemed to regroup for a moment before she looked between all of them. "Well then." She gave Draco an angry glare. "Could you possibly speculate as to how not one but two dragons went on a rampage and how they got loose? The Ironbelly especially, as it was a nesting dragon that vanished from the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary only moments before."

Charlie was the one who answered. They had agreed in advance that Charlie would handle most of the questions regarding the dragons themselves and the sanctuary. "Well Rita,-" His easy smile and rugged handsome looks had Rita melting a little bit towards the second oldest Weasley. "-you basically said it yourself. It disappeared moments before it appeared in a different county many many miles away. It accidentally touched a portkey that was meant for one of the eggs. Needless to say that the people who were waiting for the dragon egg dissapparated long before any authorities were on the scene."

Rita seemed completely enthralled by Charlie, captivated by his charm and information. "And how in the name of Merlin would it be possible for a nesting dragon or an egg to get into contact with a portkey?" She ended her sentence on a genuine small smile. Hermione stared with wide eyes because she had never seen Rita do anything remotely close to smiling other than those calculated grimaces.

He nodded. "We are still working on that but at this time we cannot reveal our theories to the public."

Rita shook her head slightly, trying to rid herself of the trance-like state Charlie's easy smiles had brought her into. Hermione was certain that the smirk on her face was mirrored by Draco and even Harry. It was fun rattling Rita's equilibrium, especially because it didn't happen often.

"Thank you mr. Weasley. It would seem that the ministry have made the right decision bringing you in to consult on this case."

Charlie smiled widely. "Hermione made the decision to bring on both me and Draco, she knew that the case was extraordinary, even when she was just investigating the eggs. In cases such as this, it can be paramount if you know who to ask for help and Hermione did."

She swiveled from Charlie to Harry. "And how do you fit into this case mr. Potter? When were you brought on?"

"Well, it isn't just me, the entirety of the auror department is at Hermione and Draco's disposal should they need it." Rita nodded and he continued. "We arrested a couple of muggles in wandering around Diagon Alley, they were looking very suspicious and they had been directed to find Knockturn Alley by someone. The initial auror who made the arrest was on holiday and couldn't help but notice the two men. They told him about finding something to handle scorching hot dragon eggs and luckily he had heard of Hermione's case. After further amicable questioning in the middle of Diagon Alley, he surmised that they needed to be brought in. They have since been obliviated and returned to their home in the muggle world."

Harry elegantly skated over the entire obliviated-by-a mole-in-the-depths-of-the-ministry-misère and none of them mentioned the mole who had obviously done it, also known as Herbert Redwood. She made a mental note that they had to ask him about that. They needed confirmation, if anything then at least for protocol.

Beside her, she felt Draco shift slightly in his seat, which brought his entire arm flush up against her body. She fought the blush with everything she had in her as Rita kept on pelting Harry with questions. They'd gotten to the part where they had located and subsequently raided the warehouse and as Harry continued, she didn't know where to look. Her body felt scorched by his mere proximity somehow.

Suddenly Rita's attention turned back to Draco and she couldn't fathom why. "Mr. Malfoy, may I ask why you did not participate in the raid on the warehouse?" Why in the name of Merlin's pants was that relevant?

Draco scoffed softly but answered good-naturedly enough. "I was busy questioning miss Brown at the time."

Rita smiled indulgently but all Hermione saw was danger danger _danger_. "But mr. Malfoy, you are an integral part of this investigation. How did you convince miss Granger and mr. Potter to do all of the hard work for you?"

Draco leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "I didn't. We agreed to divide and get as much work done in as short a time as possible."

"I wasn't there either, you know." Charlie interjected with a shrug and a smile.

Rita smirked evilly and completely ignored Charlie's comment. "I'm sure that would have been _your_ idea mr. Malfoy." Her voice was amicable but her eyes were hard as flint.

Hermione bristled and interrupted the interrogation the interview had suddenly turned into. "No actually. It was my idea."

Rita turned sharply to her and said challengingly "And on who's behest miss Granger? Hmm? Would it be wrong to assume that mr. Malfoy is the mastermind behind that particular plan?"

Draco frowned, his entire body going rigid. "What exactly are you accusing me of miss Skeeter?"

Rita raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a penetrating stare as she looked over her glasses. "Is there something I _should_ be accusing you of mr. Malfoy?"

Hermione was shocked at the direction the interview had taken. Despite her sour relationship with Rita, she hadn't foreseen something like this at all. The fact that Rita was basically accusing Draco of interfering with the case was a very serious problem. She, Harry and Charlie of course all knew that he hadn't done anything close to what she was insinuating but it was still shocking that this was even something she would bring up. In her indignation over Rita's treatment of Draco, she completely forgot about her blasted feelings and Rita's probing questions for a moment.

But only for a moment.

Draco scoffed derisively and leaned back in his seat, giving her a hard glare. "No miss Skeeter, there isn't. Whatever you're trying to dig up, isn't there. I may have a past but that does _not_ dictate my actions today."

Harry decided to end the farce of an interview. "Aaaand, I believe that was the end of the interview." He stood up briskly clapping his hands once. "We have no more time to spend on you miss Skeeter. Thank you for stopping by. We have bad guys to catch and dragons to help. I'm sure you understand. If you would please excuse us." Harry was so good at seeming sincere without caring remotely and that was the attitude that Rita received.

Rita's mouth contorted in anger but before she could utter another word, they'd all quickly exited the room, leaving her and the photographer alone in the conference room with her probing questions and deeply invasive information behind.


	26. Debatable

Rita Skeeter was fuming! Pacing and spewing curses around the ministry conference room with her inept photographer looking on in bewilderment. Those insolent children! No one would get away with treating her the way they had!

 

Luckily, she thought smugly, every single one of their interview answers could be construed to her advantage. Or at least, to their decided disadvantage. Everything said in an interview was always highly debatable. She might have made something of a dreary deal with Narcissa Malfoy but the approach of a young Hogwarts alum the day before had changed _everything_.

That one had many pictures and proper evidence of a dalliance between the two lead investigators and it was just the most delicious piece of news. She scoffed to herself because nothing Narcissa Malfoy could ever give her would ever trump _that_ kind of news.

Of course, it didn't matter that the couple had denied it so vehemently. That would only make for a _much_ more interesting article.

* * *

They made their way to the elevators in silence, Hermione could practically feel the tension coming off Draco in waves of arrogant annoyance. The silence between the four of them felt awkward and strange and she just wanted to get away from it.

She got off the lift on her floor and to her surprise, so had Draco. He coughed to get her attention as the doors closed behind him and Charlie and Harry both waved cheerily at her with matching grins as the lift stated moving again.

She narrowed her eyes at him and he merely lifted a brow at her. "Granger, a word?"

She merely glared at him. None of them said anything else, so she just shook her head and practically ran down the hall to her office. She just _couldn't_ do this right now.

They had so much work to do, they had to talk to Redwood, investigate the addresses he would provide and deal with Lavender, plus hopefully catch Marietta and Jack and that had to be done sooner rather than later.

He shouted after her. "Granger, don't fucking run _again_ , we _need_ to talk about this." He voice was slightly raised and deeply exasperated but she chose to ignore him as much as she was able. Which, it turned out, was impossible. His mere proximity made her entire frame aware of his presence.

She shook her head again. She knew she was in denial, but still. "No, we don't." She was at her door and she almost managed to close it in his face.

Almost.

"Yes,-" He grunted as he forced his way into her office and shut the door behind him. "-we do." His face was so close to hers and set in an angry scowl that made her body almost vibrate with frustration, he was no doubt angry that she was so elusive but she just could _not_ do this.

Her heart, mind and body were warring over this man, debating back and forth and it was starting to seriously mess with her sanity. He was present in her dreams _every single night_ and she saw him almost _every single day_ but she was hurt and angry with him for hurting her.

She dreamt of him at night, over and over. All of her dreams were intermingled and chaotic. She dreamt of the war, him, her family, him, Harry, him, the dragons, him, Ron, him and she woke up over and over without a resolution as to what to do.

It only made her more resistant of him. He was such a massive source of chaos in her otherwise neatly organized life and mind and she just wanted him out of her head, didn't she?

She didn't truly open up to people easily but she had to him and now she _hurt_. She knew it was childish but why, oh why couldn't she just get away from him?

He rolled his eyes at her antics. "Goddammit, would you stop this? Skeeter knows way too much. She knows about us at Vici. We can _not_ ignore this."

She took three steps back to put some space between them and shouted at him, her magic crackling with anger and frustration. "Oh really?! Watch me!"

"For fucks sake Granger! You can't just ignore this! It's going to cast the entire investigation into shadow, placing you and me in the forefront!"

She waved it away. "I'm ignoring it Draco! I don't want to talk about it! Especially with you!"

"You infuriatingly stubborn witch!" He threw his hands up, exasperated with her attitude towards this and she bristled. "Could you please, for _one fucking moment_ , get over yourself and deal with this?"

She huffed angrily. "Well, excuse me for prioritizing the case over your bloody bruised ego!"

"This is as much a part of dealing with the case! So we fucked while working on the case! It's still our fucking problem! We _have_ to deal with her!"

She flinched at his harsh choice of words. "It is not! What we had…" She searched for the right way to convey it. "What we did…" Images flashed in front of her, setting her body on fire but she pushed it away. She took a deep breath and looked straight into those beautiful eyes that seemed to be the only window deep into his soul. "It's over Draco. Let's just please move on."

She was sure that she saw something fracture in his silver eyes and his mouth tightened with the smallest movement. She tried to push it away but somehow it broke something more in her.

She frowned to herself, she didn't know there was more to break.

He seemed somewhat resigned. "You know what Granger, fucking fine. You don't want to listen? Fine. You don't want to come up with a plan to deal with Skeeter? Fine. Then I guess I'll just have to fucking deal with it for the both of us. But I don't beg Granger. I _never_ will. At some point, when I get to say I told you so, you _will_ sit down and listen to me."

She narrowed her eyes at him, deeply resenting her body's treacherous reaction to his words. "Get the hell out of my office." Her voice was deathly quiet. She didn't want to listen to his explanations, she didn't want to hear whatever he wanted to say, whether it was about the case or them.

He cocked his head, considering her. "Actually no, I think not." He sat down nonchalantly and inspected his fingernails as if he was in her office every day. "I think I'll stay right here just to piss you off."

"You utter bastard!" She blew up at him. He just pushed all of her buttons and she just wanted him gone!

She was just about to open her mouth to scold him again when there was a knock on her door. That was the first time she seriously wondered if someone outside had heard their intense argument. She was quite sure that she'd forgotten silencing enchantments. _Bollocks._

She straightened her shirt and skirt and ran her fingers through her hair as much as she was able before she waved her hand to open the door. Three people stepped in, Terry Boot with two workers from legal she hadn't met before. Her office seemed so small with so many people in it.

Terry nodded to Draco before turning to her. "Hermione, this is Gowan and Anna from legal. We just arrived back from Gringotts and we have news about Brown's accounts."

She recognized the woman as the one Draco had been cuddling. Really?! She shot the man in question an arched eyebrow and he just looked at her, completely unapologetic and gave her the smallest shake of his head. She had no idea how to interpret that. Bloody wanker he was.

The two nodded at her and she turned back to Terry. "Please tell me you have something." She felt tired, so very tired deep within her bones. This blasted case and all of this animosity towards Draco was absolutely exhausting and she was looking very much forward to getting home, in the shower and then have an early night.

Terry grimaced and she waited with baiting breath. "Well Hermione, this woman is a right piece of work. Lavender Brown has no less than seven accounts at Gringotts and guess who is co-signed on several of them?" She waited, expecting the answer to be Jack. But it seemed that she was wrong. "Marietta Edgecombe. All in all, Lavender Brown's accounts amass a total of just under a million galleons. All of her accounts have now been frozen."

All Hermione could do was stare and Draco, whom she'd honestly forgotten was in the room, swore loudly. She started pacing. "Alright. Has any money been withdrawn from the account in the past week?"

Terry nodded. "Yes, a sum of fifty thousand galleons was withdrawn two days ago by miss Edgecombe. Seeing as she didn't want to enter Diagon Alley, the transaction took place at her dilapidated estate in Oxford. The goblins were quite vocal about how awful a state the house was in."

Draco was shaking his head. "This is fucked." He looked up at her. "This is fucking fucked Granger, now they have money to buy and bribe their way. And who knows if they're just going to disappear? We need to process those detainees and get them shipped off to Azkaban pronto."

"No."

He stared at her in disbelief so she repeated herself. "No. Not all of them. We need Herbert Redwood and Jack's brother Uwe to stay here. We need them to catch Marietta and Jack."

"Are you absolutely sure Granger?" He shrugged. "We could just trick them into believing that they are here."

"I'm definitely sure, they're staying here. I'm not sure how we're going to do it but we need them to stay here at the ministry. It will be easier for us to catch them than if Redwood and Uwe are actually here at the ministry instead of Azkaban."

Draco shrugged again. "Fine, it's your case."

Terry nodded to the two others. "We'll get the rest of them processed as soon as possible and leak the fact that they are all getting an emergency trial to the press."

Hermione grinned. "Excellent plan Terry. If Marietta and Jack _thinks_ that they will be bungled up to Azkaban in a few days it ought to speed up their rescue attempt. You three do that and we'll get Harry and check out that house in Oxford."

Terry gave her an answering grin and shoed their colleagues from legal out of her office. "We'll get to work then."

Despite the fact that three people have just left her office, it still seemed small. She blamed him. He just had a strange way of always taking up too much space. It felt desperately over-crowded, despite it only being the two of them. He was messing with her, messing with her head and body. For some godforsaken reason, she was always keenly aware of where he were in proximity to her.

"Well,-" He prompted, with that infuriating blank face of his. "-aren't you going to summon wonder-boy?"

She frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?" She'd forgotten all about their conversation of two minutes earlier. She was never this distracted. Well, that was before she started working with him.

He gave her a crooked smile that sent a jolt of something straight through her and settled into butterflies in her stomach. "Potter. Didn't you need to get Potter here so the three of us could investigate Edgecombe's house?" Then his smiled changed to a wicked glint. "What were you thinking of, by any chance?" His tone of voice was so endlessly suggestive and she hated her reaction to it.

By the love of all that was holy, this man ought to be outlawed. He was so diabolically handsome and much too smart for his own good. The way he construed his questions so they always seemed to have an undercurrent of lewd suggestions behind them. And of course, her goddamn body reacted like dried timber exposed to a naked flame because she burst on fire as his eyes roamed over her.

She pulled herself together and sniffed, trying to appear completely unconcerned and probably failing dismally. "Nothing that concerns you."

His smirk turned into a grin, he obviously didn't believe her at all. "Fine, then get Potter here."

She narrowed her eyes at him while she still tried to force her body into submission. "You don't get to tell me what to do, Malfoy." She meant to sound harsh but in reality it came out as a challenge and she wanted to groan because he perked right up.

She waved her wand and her otter patronus appeared, she gave her instructions and is soared away through the door of her office.

In the meantime, Draco stood up, towering over her. "So… Do I not get to tell you what to do?" He head was cocked to one side and it seemed as though he was just clarifying a point on a report.

She shook her head. "No, you don't. Now please get out of my office."

"But Granger…" His voice was smooth as silk, floating over her like a caress from a lover. "I so appreciate telling you what to do."

She was stunned into silence. She just stared at him blankly, willing herself to get him out of her office. Sooner rather than later.

Instead he took another step forward, bringing him much too close in her personal space. His eyes had determination in them and unmistakable lust. It was a heady cocktail and it rooted her firmly to the spot.

As he held their eye contact, he said. "What if I told you to turn around, bend over your desk and spread your legs so I can feast on your soaking pussy?" She was vaguely aware that he was now walking lazily in a circle around her touching her here and there. His fingers were lingering on her jaw, on her collarbone, her hips, her arse. Everywhere he touched, her skin felt scorched and flushed.

He ended his short walk behind her, placing himself entirely against her back. "What if I told you to get on your knees and suck my cock while I sit in your chair?" Her mouth watered at the suggestion and she could easily feel his own pulsing arousal.

"What if I told you to sit on your desk, spread your legs and finger-fuck your cunt while I watch?" She had vivid memories of that very scenario where she had her legs spread on his kitchen island.

What if I asked you to sit on my face and not rise again until you have come a minimum of three times?" Her core was soaked and throbbing with need for him.

"What if I tied you to the top of your own desk and had my own extremely wicked way with you?" She wanted that. Of course she did. Her entire body sang with need for him.

"What If I told you to do all of those things?" He walked around her and his eyes bored into hers. Searching for the answer.

She just stood there, silent and confused. She wanted him so badly, her body was throbbing for him but she had to stay away. She _had to_. He didn't care if he had hurt her. He only wanted a physical relationship and she just couldn't stay disinterested around him, she had fallen too hard for him to do that.

So, with a herculean effort, she straightened her back and gave him a hard glare and hissed. "That was low, even for you Malfoy." She took a deep breath and a step away from him. She needed to clear her head. "We're not going to Marietta's today. In fact, since you won't leave my office, I am going home right now and _you_ can deal with Harry. Have him send some of them on a reconnaissance mission there, then we'll know what to deal with tomorrow."

His brows furrowed in confusion and he was just about to say something when she covertly sent a stinging jinx to his thigh before escaping from her office. He deserved it for putting her through that... That farce.

The bastard.

* * *

She had spent the entire evening trying to rid her mind of him. Trying desperately to find her own inner strength. But it didn't work.

He had addled her brain, making her confused and she was turning everything over and over. In the end, she decided to go to a yoga class that evening, it had always helped her in the past but now she was just going through the motions, her mind on a certain blonde who was far away.

How on earth could she deal with these frustrating feelings? Her heart ached to be near him and so did her body. Only her mind was holding her back. The knowledge that he hadn't been as invested in them as she had was like a bucket of cold water over her head.

But it didn't matter. They probably weren't suited for each other anyway, their school days very clearly attested to that.

But their chemistry was undeniable. There were sparks between them even when they were in a room filled with other people too. One look from him and she was a mess of lust, confusion and something else. Something more elusive, yet deeper.

All of her mental whirring thoughts made for another confusing and restless night filled with dreams and nightmares but the next day she walked into Harry's office bright and early in the morning, determined to be efficient and professional that day. She knew that Rita Skeeter's interview would be published today. A thought she tried desperately to bury along with those frustrating feelings for Draco.

It sort of worked. Ish.

Harry didn't say anything, he just handed her the Daily Prophet with a grim expression and she riffled through the first couple of pages. They were filled with more or less accurate details about the case, compliments to Charlie and snide comments to the rest of them from Skeeter but she breezed past that.

"Page 7." Harry didn't elaborate further and her eyes widened when she saw it. She read the article with ever mounting horror.

* * *

_**Wonder girl Hermione Granger and former Death Eater Draco Malfoy are conducting a secret love affair!** _ _by special correspondent Rita Skeeter_

_As described in the first pages of this Daily Prophet edition, miss Hermione Granger and mr. Draco Malfoy are lead investigators in a most extraordinary case of deceit, lies, animal cruelty and even death!_  
It would therefore be expected that they were solely focused on the case on not on other, shall we say, extracurricular activities.  
That does not seem to be the case however, as this reporter can exclusively reveal!

_Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy are conducting a secret love affair during their investigation of the dragon case!_

_The couple has been spotted at the wizarding hotspot Vici in Diagon Alley kissing and quite indiscreetly fondling each other. Now, how that might affect the very sensitive case can only be speculated at but one might wonder if this is common knowledge at the ministry and if head auror Harry Potter knows about this._

_My source also confirm that the two left together and has since had couplings on numerous occasions and are madly in love!_

_It is without a doubt necessary for them both to stay level-headed in a case as complicated as this and one can only wonder how distracting this is to them. One might wonder if this flagrant affaire is the reason that the case has not yet been resolved._

_We, at the Daily Prophet, would implore minister Shacklebolt to ensure that these private liaisons do not affect their important job at hand and entertain the hope that this horrifying case will be resolved as soon as possible._

* * *

The article was absolutely awful but that wasn't the kicker.

The kicker was the massive moving picture that took up most of the page of the two of them in the booth at Vici passionately snogging. Hermione blushed, knowing exactly where his hand had been at that very moment. Thankfully that wasn't visible on the picture but no one could deny their mutual desire towards the other.

Her chest felt hollow and her stomach dropped. She groaned, sinking down onto the chair opposite Harry's. "Oh no no no no!" She looked up at her very best friend in the world. "What am I going to do?"

"Well, the best thing you could do is to ignore it. It may have a picture but other than that it's merely speculation." She winced and he shrugged in answer.

"But if you won't do that, then maybe you should talk to Rita? She's still not a registered animagus so perhaps you should just blackmail her again into writing a truthful article?"

"Why does this have to be so hard?" She groaned, annoyed at this awful spot she was in. On one hand she knew that those pesky feelings for Draco weren't going anywhere anytime soon but on the other hand, she truly wanted to be rid of him, somehow.

Harry just shook his head, bloody unhelpful that was.

She knew what she had to do. She had to correct the mistake somehow. Maybe she should do what Harry said and contact Rita?

"Oh by the way,-" Harry said offhandedly. "-my guys are monitoring Marietta's estate in Oxford. They're definitely there,-" He held up his hand to hault her arduous reaction that they charged the place immediately. "-and before you and I go storming in there like the Gryffindors' we are, Malfoy made a good point yesterday when I spoke to him about it." He waited and she stayed silent, so he continued.

"If we storm the place, they'll just disapparate and we're back to square one. But if we keep watching and plan out assault, then we have a much higher chance to catch both of them."

She sighed and agreed to the suggestion. "Fine then, do you have a plan?"

He grinned. "No." She felt so frustrated, how were they supposed to do this? But Harry wasn't done yet. "But Malfoy does."

She grimaced.

* * *

When she returned to her office that afternoon, Sofia was talking to a tall statuesque witch with long blonde hair. She was standing with her back to the Hermione, giving her a moment to collect herself after another gruelling day. Fortunately it had been blessedly Draco-free.

"Hermione! Come over here and meet mrs. Malfoy." _Goddammit._

Hermione blanched at the prospect of meeting mrs. Malfoy. She didn't want to see her, to be reminded of the war and the horrors that took place at Malfoy Manor. Somehow, she'd stopped associating Draco with those events.

The woman turned and Hermione was forced to come to terms with the fact that Draco's mother had made a very unexpected and not very welcome appearance at her office in the depths of the ministry. And of course, she looked effortlessly elegant and was graceful in all of her movements, obviously something Draco hadn't gotten from strangers.

"Narcissa, please dear." The sweet smile on the pureblood woman's face seemed completely foreign to Hermione though Narcissa clearly didn't find it strange herself to be smiling at someone she'd never formally been introduced to. Their meetings had been comprised of nothing but animosity and blood-issues.

Sofia blushed prettily. "Yes, of course, Narcissa."

Hermione fought the urge to curtsy for some reason. She mused that it was probably due to the very aristocratic way she carried herself and her general air of authority, despite her the Malfoy family's fall from grace after the war. Somehow, Narcissa Malfoy was still a force to be reckoned with and she felt particularly unsophisticated in her presence.

Well, she had never backed down from a challenge. She wasn't sure if her sudden visitor posed a challenge but she pulled herself up to her fullest height and squared her shoulders before she gave her an answering smile.

"Mrs. Malfoy, won't you please come in?"

When they were seated in her office and the door was closed, mrs. Malfoy pulled out her wand and warded the door. "My apologies miss Granger but this conversation is not for prying ears, no matter how lovely your assistant is."

Hermione smiled but she was feeling out of her element. She supressed the instinct to run. "What can I do for you then, mrs. Malfoy?"

"Please call me Narcissa dear, that epithet reminds me of my dearly departed mother-in-law." She gave the most subtle ladylike shudder.

Hermione nodded and she continued. "As you have probably guessed, I am not here on business but on a personal mission." Her countenance hardened slightly and Hermione had to pull herself together in order to stop her eyes from widening. "I am not here to apologize for my sons actions as that would be his own problem, but I am here to explain why he had dinner with miss Rosier instead of me."

This time, Hermione's eyes did widen.

"I have tried several time to contact you by owl, but it would seem as if these are still barred from you apartment. A floo-call was also impossible as you have closed your floo, so I had no other option that showing up here." Hermione cursed inwardly. She'd forgotten all about reopening her floo and the enchantment barring owls from her flat.

Narcissa took a deep breath. "You see, I have been longing, desperately, for grandchildren for a very long time. Draco has ignored me as much as he could, which meant that I have several times needed to trick him into at least meeting some of these prospected ladies. Of course, I had no idea that you and he had started a dalliance. It would seem that he had plans to inform me that very evening." She sniffed delicately, showing her silent reproach towards Draco that she had not been informed. "But, alas, we never got that far. When he arrived, I promptly introduced them and left him at the restaurant with miss Rosier and that's where it all seems to have gone wrong."

Hermione was stunned by Narcissa's very personal explanation but she couldn't hold her tongue. She needed to know. "But why didn't he leave? Why did he stay at dinner with her?"

"As to that, I cannot be certain but I can tell you that despite our many wrongs, Lucius and I have always ingrained our son with all of the traits of a proper gentleman. He would never just desert a lady at dinner, no matter the circumstances. Unfortunately, in this case it seems to have backfired somewhat for him."

Hermione raised her eyebrows and snorted. "Somewhat? I would say that it has definitely backfired. Since that night he has behaved like nothing but an arrogant wanker towards me."

Narcissa merely cocked her head in exactly the same manner as Draco. "As I said, it is up to him to apologize, I merely wanted to explain my part in this confusion as it explains some of Draco's actions. Now I only have another issue to explain to him."

Hermione nodded and stood to signal the end of the conversation and Narcissa stood but did not leave. She seemed to be ignoring her before Narcissa gave her an eerily piercing look. "My son does not fall in love often miss Granger, I would urge you to at least speak with him."

Hermione was absolutely stunned.

"L…love?" Hermione squeaked but Narcissa had already left, her magnificent dress billowing behind her as she turned the corner, leaving Hermione alone to deal with her ever treacherous heart.

* * *

Jack Flame had barely escaped from the tattered house that morning, the lunatic woman terrorized every room and every creature inside. He wasn't afraid of her at all but her mood-shifts made him twitchy around her, so he'd grabbed the latest Daily Prophet and plopped down in the nearby forest, leaning comfortably against a tree.

He had come to the conclusion that his brother hadn't gotten away and now he was working on a full proof plan to get him away from the clutches of ministry. The problem was that he hadn't had much information about their ministry adversaries.

Until now.

His grin widened when he saw the contents of the newspaper. This they could work with.

Lots and _lots_ of information.


	27. Truth or dare

Draco spent the night pondering his next move, vacillating between going to her right that instant and just giving the fuck up. Was she really worth all of this trouble? His entire being rejected that notion. Because yes, of course she fucking was. He definitely couldn't give up, he _needed_ her in his life. Appealing to Hermione's incredibly sexy and lustful side hadn't had the effect that he wanted at all. And now she thought all the less of him. Fucking _great._ That backfired spectacularly. He wanted to roll his eyes at his own antics but there was just something about her that was completely irresistible to him, he just couldn't help himself around her.

He groaned and rolled over in his bed. Maybe he should just apologize? Flat-out. No suggestions. No nothing. The near-constant owls from Pansy and Daphne indicated without a doubt that they definitely thought he should. He had made his mind up but really, there wasn't anything to apologize for. It was all a misunderstanding. Admittedly a rather huge one. He might not have handled that misunderstanding that well, but still, no one was perfect. Not even him. As unlikely as that was.

However, he had decided that he needed to get her to _listen_ for once. Properly. To something else than his lascivious suggestions. And how in the name of Salazar would he get her to do that?

The following morning he went through the motions, still wondering and planning vaguely. He wondered if he might be able to convince Daphne and Weasley to help. He got up, took a shower with a happy ending (because no-one who was _this_ bloody keen for her just couldn't), put on his clothes, grabbed a cup of coffee, grabbed the newspaper and sat down.

In that particular order.

He was sitting casually at his kitchen island reading the Daily Prophet, trying to distract himself from his coming day but when he turned a page, he almost sprayed the coffee onto the page.

What in the name of a blasphemous fuck was this?!

* * *

_**The truth revealed! – What really happened between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy** _ _Interview by special correspondent Rita Skeeter._

_The Golden Girl, miss Hermione Granger is shifting in her chair, obviously uncomfortable but ready, nonetheless to divulge the entire story of how she and mr. Draco Malfoy ended up together not too long ago._

_Interviewer: Miss Granger, how did you and mr. Malfoy end up together at Vici?_

_HG: We'd had a long day at work, trying to figure out this complicated case. Harry, Draco and I were drinking away our frustrations._

_Interviewer: And did you sleep with him?_

_HG: That's none of your business. The most important thing is to correct your earlier article. We are not madly in love, we are just amicable friends. The kiss was a mistake._

_Interviewer: That seems like more than one kiss miss Granger. Why would you insist that it's a mistake now?_

_HG: Because it was a mistake._

_Interviewer: The two of you are working very closely together on the dragon-case. Had you imagined that working together would provide the two of you the opportunity to begin this flagrant affaire?_

_HG: For the last time, there is no affaire._

_Interviewer: I must say that I highly doubt that miss Granger, but moving on. How has it been working closely with mr. Malfoy since your, shall we call it, mutual enjoyment at Vici?_

_HG: We've had no problems. We are both professionals with an important job to do and we work well together._

_Interviewer: Of course you do. And in which areas do you work together best?_

_HG: We research well together, we each have different strengths to bring to this case and it yields great results. Plus our magic is rather compatible._

_Interviewer: Is your magic compatible? How did you discover that?_

_HG: We combined our magic in Leicester Square in muggle London to ward the area where the Hungarian Horntail that had been set loose. We had to cover the people working on getting the dragon to calm and the dragon itself from the muggles._

_Interviewer: Are you aware that combining magic is rather difficult for most people? Have you ever done something like that before at all?_

_HG: I wasn't and no._

_Interviewer: Well, it can usually only be done by people who has a very deep emotional connection. Would you say that you and mr. Malfoy has that?_

_HG: Certainly not. We are merely co-workers._

_In conclusion, we at the Daily Prophet can see that miss Hermione Granger is clearly delusional about her relationship with mr. Draco Malfoy as there is obviously much more to their relationship than she would admit to the public, and I can promise you my dear readers, that I will not stop until I have unveiled the full story._

_There are still speculations rife at the ministry about whether Mr. Draco Malfoy has influenced somehow miss Granger, mr. Harry Potter and mr. Charlie Weasley into speaking highly of him and I, my dear readers, will not stop until I uncover the entirety of this entire messy situation. One could only hope that minister Shacklebolt has launched a full investigation into the handling of the dragon-case and especially mr. Draco Malfoy._

* * *

He stormed into her office, slamming the door behind him and muttering silencing spells on it with one fluid movement before he advanced on her and slammed the newspaper down on her desk. "Granger, what the fuck is this?! Why in the name of Merlin's soggy fucking bottom is there yet another article in the Daily Prophet about the two of us?! _A-fucking-gain_! Given to Skeeter by _YOU_?!"

She stared at him with disbelief, anger flowing through her immediately at his accusatory tone and she just blew up at him, she couldn't help it. "I thought you wanted me to deal with this?!"

He threw his hands up, completely exasperated. "No woman! I told you that _we_ needed to figure this out! As in the goddamn both of us! Not you just traipsing off to give that devil of a woman another goddamn interview!"

She crossed her arms at her chest, radiating annoyance. "Really Draco?! I tried to fix it!"

"Oh please!" His tone carried the derision that was so obvious in his demeanour. "Did you actually read that article?! How much of a shit-storm do you think I have to deal with now?!"

She scoffed. "Fuck off Draco and go soothe your bruised ego somewhere else!"

"You bloody stupid woman! I thought you were supposed to be clever! Do you not realize just how much ammunition you've given Skeeter?! What if she has more pictures?! Other pictures?!

She ground her teeth as he spoke, her fists clenched at her sides. "Stupid?! STUPID?!" Her voice rose to a pitch and she just wanted to hit him _so_ badly. "How _dare_ you call _me_ stupid?!"

"From all of what I said, _that's_ what you hear?! Well call all the cats, why don't you?" He muttered the last part and this time she couldn't stop herself, she punched his upper arm as hard as she could. And, considering her well-trained body, she had a mean punch.

"Oi!" He yelled, clutching his arm with a rather playful smirk playing around that sculpted mouth. Was he just fucking with her sanity or something? "That's assault and battery right there!"

She rolled her eyes at him and held out her hands to him with a raised eyebrow and a very sarcastic expression. "Fine! Then have me bloody arrested!"

"You have no idea how…" His eyes widened as if he'd just thought of something and his entire demeanor changed and he suddenly gave her a smouldering hot look that startled her down to the tips of her toes. His frame turned predatorial and he advanced on her like a man on a mission. It made her step back until she fell into her chair. Not out of fear but something else. Something that made her belly clench in anticipation.

Before she could say a thing, he'd conjured ropes and a set of actual cuffs and essentially bound her to the chair. She squeaked, sort of hating the way her body reacted to this vulnerable situation but trying to rub her thighs together to create _some_ sort of friction.

He regarded her with an expression she hadn't known she'd missed. But missed it she had. She clenched her teeth, trying to stop the quaking in her core. It didn't work. At all. That insatiable _need_ for him was definitely still there. He was still a bastard who needed to apologize but still, she needed him all the same.

He cocked his head and smirked. "Excellent, now I have you right where I want you Granger."

She rolled her eyes and reflexively said. "It's Hermione." That was before she actually realized what she'd said. Her eyes widened. His smirk broadened and he squatted down right in front of her, that simple movement doing so many things to her. Sinful things.

"Now Granger. Let's play a little game." She stifled a moan and tried very hard to appear furious with him but judging by his wicked expression it wasn't working. _Bollocks_.

He smirked. "Let's play an abbreviated game of truth or dare. You make a statement and guess my answer. If you guess incorrectly, I will explain the answer to the statement but if you don't…" He trailed off suggestively and a tremble ran down her spine.

She gulped and tried stretched her neck to rid herself of that tremble but it didn't work. "If I don't?" She prompted, feeling very much out of her element. Her voice was small, very uncharacteristically for her.

He smirked, that smirk doing so many terrible and fantastic things to her. He leaned into her and whispered wickedly in her ear. "You lose a clothing item with each wrong guess."

She sucked in a breath hard. She didn't know what to do. She probably could get out of these bonds if she truly wanted to but she wasn't sure that was what she wanted anymore. He had been dogging her about that explanation for what felt like a really long time and she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what he had to say. However, the visit from Narcissa yesterday had changed her mind. She needed to hear him out and show him that she trusted him. Surprisingly, she still had that innate trust in him but she was weary at what he had to say.

Her body however, had other ideas. Her cheeks were blushed and her core already felt soaked. He hadn't even touched her yet. Remembering what she wore, she was very happy with her choice of underwear today.

So, she nodded to him, apprehensive of what she had just agreed to and he actually grinned. "Wise choice Hermione."

* * *

Jack Flame was prowling the grounds of the remains of the Edgecombe estate. He practiced his spell work, knowing that they would be necessary when they infiltrated the ministry. He also went through his charm work, especially the disillusionment charm, that would be vital.

He had formed a plan, or something of a plan really. That crazy bitch knew her way around the ministry but he couldn't get her to speak two sensible words together and it frayed his already waning patience. They needed to get his brother, Redwood and the galleons. He didn't give two shits about the dragons or Lavender. She wasn't instrumental for this plan, her magic was mediocre at best. If they happened to come across her, they agreed to take her with them but otherwise she was on her own.

They would attack within the next two days. They had waited long enough since the interviews were published and he banked on his brother still being there. He hated when his mind ran through all of the scenarios of what his brother was subjected to at the ministry. His brother wouldn't talk, of course, but what would they get out of the others? What would they fling in his face to get a reaction?

He groaned as he paced the small clearing he'd found. It might be a trap but he needed his brother. They only had each other and they had to keep each other safe.

* * *

Of course, Jack didn't know that his every move outside the house was being watched and recorded by the assigned aurors. He might be proficient in the art of a good fraud but he didn't think twice about roaming the grounds without keeping vigilant watch.

The aurors nearby were cataloguing Jack's every move, his magical signature and how his spell flow worked. They never saw Edgecombe, she didn't come outside at all. They could sometimes hear faint screaming from inside the house but they never tried to breach the house, they had explicit orders. Watch without being seen and report back.

* * *

Draco was prowling around her, taking his sweet time and she wanted to scream. With frustration and lust. This man would surely drive her crazy one day.

"So,-" He paused and she fought a shiver down her spine. That dark voice promising so much, had too many liquefying effects on her. "-now that I _finally_ have your undivided attention, we can begin."

He cocked his head, seemingly pondering his next move and she didn't dare say anything. She knew very well that she could instantly release herself from her binds and that he had absolutely no intentions of hurting her. Today she'd suddenly _wanted_ to know what he had to say. She _wanted_ to hear him out.

He stood in front of her, feet shoulder-width apart and his arms crossed. His severe stance was softened by his warm eyes and wicked smirk. "Go on. Ask away."

Her mind was riddled with questions. She didn't know where to start. So she started with the basics. "How will I know if you'll be telling me the truth?"

He shrugged but his eyes were hard, trying to convey something important to her. "You won't, you'll just have to trust me."

She frowned, wondering if she really should trust him but she found again that she already did. Also, she really wanted to know what happened. "Alright, fine. You were at dinner the other day with Stella Rosier. Your mother came by to explain that she had tricked you into staying at the dinner with her." He looked surprised and somewhat cranky at that revelation. "I assume that she is correct?"

He rolled his eyes but he nodded. "Yes, I only stayed at that dinner because of my mother. I would never have been unfaithful to you, despite the fact that our relationship hadn't been cemented properly. I actually planned on telling you about my disastrous evening, get a laugh out of that stupid dinner and then shagging you completely and utterly senseless."

His eyes glinted wickedly and she felt a warmth spread throughout her body. She squirmed in her seat, trying to alieve the tension coiled tight within her. Frustratingly, it didn't work.

She searched through all of her questions to him, deciding to stick with her current theme. "You didn't explain yourself afterwards. I assume it's because you wanted to protect your mother?"

He smirked sinfully but his voice was formal. "My apologies miss Granger. No, that is incorrect."

She gasped as cold air enveloped her upper body. Her blouse had suddenly vanished from her body and was now placed on the coat rack in the corner. His eyes raked over her body hungrily and her nipples hardened instantly from a mere look. She put her reaction down to sexual starvation but somehow she knew, deep back in her mind that her reaction was because it was _him_ giving her that look.

"Do you have more questions?" He interrupted her internal musings.

She nodded and took a moment to gather her lascivious thoughts. "You didn't explain yourself when we were both outside the restaurant. I assume it's because you were shocked at my anger?"

"It was." He looked down, his earlier playful expression was gone and a somber look of frustration graced his beautiful features. He sighed deeply, as if his words were wrenched from him. "I choked. I'm no Gryffindor. I'm not brazen or anything like that. I plan, I watch, I calculate. I don't think on my feet and act accordingly. You gave me no time to gather my thoughts before you left."

She sighed, sad that so much frustration and heartache could have been avoided if she had just shown him some patience and not stormed off. She was suitably chastised despite Draco only explaining his side of the story. "I'm sorry Draco, I should have listened to you. I should have trusted you."

He cleared his throat, obviously trying to dispel the surge of emotions her words had triggered. "Do you have more questions?"

"You didn't try to get into my flat or owl me or anything. I assume it is because you didn't want a proper relationship with me?" She hoped she was wrong, she hoped she'd lose a clothing item because she couldn't contemplate it being true. Also, she wanted to get his out of that sombre mood. She knew it wasn't easy for him to say those things.

It worked. He smirked again and her pencil skirt vanished to the coat rack to hang neatly alongside her blouse. His smirk morphed into his mouth hanging open when he saw what she was wearing. She was wearing thigh highs and suspenders, heels and her now vanished skirt. His voice didn't waver though when he asked again. "Next question?"

She tried to school her thoughts, to not appear as a slag but she absolutely loved the way he looked at her when he saw the suspenders. She straightened her back. "You were hugging a that colleague of yours, Anna, in your office. I assume that there's a rational explanation to that?"

"There is. She was distraught that her wife of four years had died in a freak potions accident. She's a friend of mine and we have lunch together from time to time when our cases allow it. Also, in case you didn't catch it, she's very much into girls as in, certainly not me. More like, she could be into you." He concluded with a wry smile.

She cocked her head wondering. Really? Had she misunderstood that situation so completely? She shook her head, trying to clear it. She went for an easy one, something she'd probably lose a shoe for. "I told you that you and I were truly over. I assume you were happy about that?"

He scoffed and her bra vanished, her breasts on full display for him.

She grumbled. "What about my shoes and stockings?" She was now only wearing knickers, heels and thigh highs, he could have removed one of her shoes instead.

He merely shrugged. "My game, my rules. You didn't specify."

She scowled at him but in reality she loved this wicked playful side to him. He was so in his element, in control and oh so sexy. "Fine. I told you that you and I were truly over. I assume I hurt you with that statement?"

He looked down again. "You did." Suddenly his eyes were burning into hers with a fierce passion. "I might not be a Gryffindor, but I do know what I want." He paused and she didn't make a sound or take a breath, she just waited for him to finish his sentence. "I want you Hermione."

Her insides melted and she wanted so badly to go to him, to kiss him and just to be with him. But then she remembered that she was stuck. And partially, if not mostly naked. "Is this game done yet?" She tried to seem coy but failed miserably. There was really no playing coy when your breasts were on show.

He grinned. An honest happy wicked grin. "Nope. Definitely not. This game isn't over until you scream my name and writhe in pleasure again."

She sucked in a breath hard and her knickers were drenched in anticipation. "Uhm, how do you propose to do that?"

The grin stayed in place and he was all the more appealing for it. "Oh, I have my ways. Don't you worry about that love."

There was no doubt that he was being truthful in using that endearment and a thrill went through her. Was she really over her righteous indignation this soon? But by all of the gods, she had missed him. Missed this, whatever it was.

And she wanted more, so much more from him, so she nodded. "You were angry at me for going to Skeeter. I assume it was because you were afraid that I would tell her the truth about us?"

He had a wicked glint in his eyes as he listened to her assumption. Her obviously very wrong assumption and a slight frisson edged its way down her spine to pool in her stomach. Something more that anticipation and lust was brewing there.

"You know that to be very wrong. Which means,-" He said significantly. "-that I win our little game." His wand didn't move from his pocket but her knickers vanished and in a fluid motion he dropped to his knees before her and kissed her hard on the lips, demanding entry into her mouth and taking what he wanted, possessive and unrelenting.

He kissed his way across her neck while one of his hands found her aching centre, stroking her outer lips with his knuckles. "Dear Merlin, you are so wet for me." His voice was quiet but she shuddered and nodded, not daring to speak. She was afraid that if she spoke, she would unleash all of her innermost feelings to him and she didn't think this was the time or the place. He kissed and licked his way to her ear where he whispered. "I meant it. You are mine."

She couldn't help it, she moaned at his blatant declaration, even if it was just in her sound-proofed office. Without missing a beat, his tongue was on her core, lapping up her juices that were coating every inch of her pussy and inner thighs.

Deep within the back of her mind, she knew that she ought to be embarrassed by the sounds he coaxed from her, but she wasn't. She moaned his name and every deity she could think of over and over and she relished the feel of having him right there. Taking care of her all-consuming need, wound tight due to their many arguments and bickerings over the past couple of days.

When he inserted two fingers inside her and curled them to hit that magic spot, she yelped and moaned even louder. True to his word, she did scream. Loudly. She came writhing and shuddering with a mix of curses, deities and his name on her lips and he kept her right there, in her orgasmic high for so long. Too long. It almost hurt to come this hard but she loved every single second it.

He then eased her down from her high slowly, lapping up the excess flow that came from her with a fervour. When he finally leaned back on his haunches and looked up at her, he was grinning. Obviously very proud of himself and she couldn't help but grin right back.

He stood and released her bonds before pulling her up to him. "Now, we will talk more later but I have a rather pressing issue that I hope you will be able to assist me with."

She looked at him, puzzled for a short moment until he took her hand gently and moved it to his steel hard cock still covered by his slacks and boxers. She gave it a gentle stroke outside his pants before she gave him a smirk. "I might just be able to assist you there."

* * *

Pansy Parkinson was bored out of her mind. She was lounging at her desk filing her nails and contemplating what to do with her time. It wasn't her fault that her co-workers were slow. It wasn't her fault that she did the same job in about a third of the time it took them. She worked in the Wizengamot Administrative Services where they filed every closed case, dealt with the overly complicated schedules of the judges on the Wizengamot. But, that also meant that she knew a lot about the goings on in the ministry.

She looked around at her colleagues. They were all so _old_. She cringed inwardly. They had absolutely no sense of style in neither fashion nor the way they carried themselves. Style was something you couldn't truly learn, it was either born and bred or it wasn't. She scoffed inwardly, thinking about all of the people who would protest at that statement but it was true. However, it had absolutely nothing to do with how pure the blood.

Crabbe and Goyle had always been nothing but two stingy lumps, though Goyle had subtly improved since he met Susan. That McClaggen from IMC had always been too full of himself to have true style. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of that brainless baboon. Hermione had style. She was graceful and poised in most situations. Blaise had style, he didn't let anyone persuade him to drop his dream of opening a café and it was by far the most successful in Diagon Alley. Daphne had style, of course, she was Pansy's best friend after all. That Charlie Weasley was a beast of a man but oh so rugged. He had style too, just his very own kind. That was the truest kind, the kind of style that came from within and couldn't be tampered with. Draco had that too from Narcissa, definitely not from Lucius. Draco had just been so desperately lost in his teens.

She sat up suddenly. She needed to pound some sense into Draco. He _had_ to apologize properly. Not these half-arse excuses, that wouldn't do for Hermione, she deserved much better than that.

Pansy got up with determination, made some random excuse to her colleagues and walked as fast as her towering high heels could carry her out of the office and towards Draco's.

When she got there, she was informed by his colleagues that he had stormed into the ministry that morning and gone straight for Granger's office in a right temper, as the grouch he was in the morning and never returned.

She just rolled her eyes at his antics and turned her steps towards Granger's office instead, heels clacking on the marble floor all the way there.


	28. Lecture

Pansy was pounding on the door. She knew they were in there because Sofia, Hermione's assistant, had just told her before she went off to lunch.

 

That was now a full twenty minutes ago and Pansy was _not_ a patient person.

She started to remove the silencing spells one by one and there were wards too. Those two knew way too much magic for their own good. As she worked on the wards, a silvery lynx appeared and spoke in the minister's deep voice, probably thinking she was Hermione's assistant. That did _not_ lighten her mood. "Please send miss Granger and mr. Malfoy to my office. Then contact mr. Potter and mr. Charlie Weasley to join us. Delegations from France and Romania are requesting updates on the progress of the case." She rolled her eyes at his formal tone, but turned back to the door and worked on none the less.

She huffed as she removed the last one, annoyed that they had made her work this hard just to get the bloody door open. The very first thing she heard was a loud feminine keen and she rolled her eyes. Those two would end up driving her fucking nuts! Why the fuck they'd ever fought was beyond her, and then not hearing each other out? She threw up her hands in frustration and muttered in annoyance. "For fucks sake." She waved her wand and put up a simple silencing spell behind her. It would probably be necessary.

She pounded on the door again as loudly as she could with both fists clenched and yelled at them, the bloody rabbits. "Oi! Fuck-faces! You have exactly one minute before I ram this door off its hinges! And trust me, this is _not_ a joke!"

She the enchanted one of the books to keep pounding on the door as she warded Sofia's office more heavily. This would not be a quiet interruption. Her reasons were rather varied. First, she just had to make sure that this wasn't just another botched attempt at making up and tomorrow they would be at each other's throats again. Second, they would have to appear before the minister and two international delegations shortly and she knew that Hermione's assistant couldn't possibly break down Draco's wards. Also, she wanted to spare Sofia the shock of seeing her boss with her tits on full display and probably in the midst of getting her brains shagged out.

Because she was just a bloody _good_ kind of person.

Hermione and Draco matched the same way that she and Blaise did. They were so alike and yet so different to each other. Matched perfectly but with slight effort. It didn't always come easily. She snorted. No bloody relationships did. You _always_ had to work at it.

Her timer now showed fifty-two seconds gone. She yelled again and again but no one answered. So there was nothing else for it. She pointed her wand directly at the door.

* * *

Draco was currently balls-deep into the wettest, softest, tightest pussy on the planet and having Pansy trying to interrupt was most certainly not on his list of important points. He knew that his wards would hold, despite that he couldn't remember which he's used but that didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered in the world at this moment was the spectacular specimen of womanhood whining, keening, moaning and cursing beneath him, intermixed with breathy versions of his own name. If this was a dream, he didn't want to wake up because it was the closest thing to heaven to him. She was bent over the desk, one of his hands were in her hair and the other on her hip, taking her with complete abandonment.

He increased his speed, focusing solely on her pleasure and working very hard to avoid coming before his witch. Thinking of his late great-aunt Walburga Black helped somewhat but damn! This woman would surely drive him to the very brink of sanity.

He had missed her. Missed her wrapped around him, just the way it was supposed to be. Ignoring the pounding and screeching from outside the office, counting it as completely indifferent. Only _she_ mattered.

Afterwards, in the glorious view of hindsight, it would seem that he had miscalculated a couple of things.  
 _One:_ How good his wards were when in the face of someone who knew him well.  
 _Two:_ His time management when otherwise occupied, well that minute just seemed to _fly_ by.  
 _Three:_ That Hermione had heard the pounding on the door during their desk-session and was ignoring it just as he was.  
 _Four:_ How precariously Hermione was placed, face down on the desk, when not supported by him.

Everything happened so fast, it seemed to blur. The door flew open and Hermione yelped in surprise when Pansy immediately doused them in cold water from her wand, screeching at them to "get fucking dressed". Draco shielded Hermione as much as he could but as soon as he moved from behind her, Hermione tumbled to the floor behind her desk in a heap of blushes and curses. He fucking loved that filthy mouth of hers.

 _Focus, Draco._ He admonished himself.

He pulled up his boxers from his ankles and quickly threw a quilt from the back of her chair to Hermione. Her clothes were hanging neatly over on the coat rack across the office.

"What the actual fuck Pansy?!" He sneared, wanting to throttle the petite annoying woman and shunt her out of the office as fast as possible.

Pansy just stood there tapping her foot with an impatient glare at them. Draco accioed their clothes and Hermione was beetroot red in the face when she finally stood up a few minutes later and glared right back at Pansy. Her glare was quite a comical sight when she was blushing that hard.

However, he had to give it to the two women. They were both somewhat frightening, each in their own way, and neither cowered from the other.

"Pansy,-" She said through gritted teeth. He could tell that Hermione was struggling to stay calm. "-what the hell are you doing in my office? You have absolutely no right to barge in here."

Pansy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Well excuse me for actually caring about the two of you. I had to make sure that you weren't actively trying to kill each other."

Hermione and Draco both snorted and Pansy just shook her head. "Sit, both of you. You need to hear me out." He opened his mouth to argue and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Hermione do the same but Pansy would not be stopped.

"Sit. The. Fuck. Down." Her voice was nothing more than a low dangerous hiss and he complied, moving to sit on the couch. If only to appease her. He pulled Hermione with him and she just followed, all of her focus was on Pansy.

"First, both French and Romanian delegations are on their way to get an update from minister Shacklebolt. You have both been summoned to report on your findings, along with Potter and the dreamy brawny Weasley."

They both made to interrupt but Pansy talked on, ignoring them completely.

"Second, and probably most importantly,-" She glared pointedly at them. "-you two need to get your fucking shit together. I don't care if you fight, that's not my problem but this-" She motioned between them angrily. "-crazy dynamic you two have is pissing me off! I get that you both want to be right. I get that you probably get off on the fighting and then have fantastic a fuck afterwards. I get that you have issues to work through but that should _not_ interfere with catching the bad guys and doing your fucking jobs!" She glared at them again as if to emphasize her point.

"Pans, I-" He tried but he couldn't get another word in.

"I'm not fucking done!" She screamed at them both and he peeked at Hermione who sat staring at Pansy with wide eyes. "You two are possibly the best match I've every fucking seen but you treat it as if what you have is nothing and its fucking not! You have to work at it! To actually speak to each other and not just fight and fuck because honestly, you're not fucking teenagers anymore! I know its all _'interesting'_ that way-" She sneered and actually made air quotations to prove her point. "-but stop being adolescents about it and just fucking talk to each other, alright?!" The frustration was radiating off her and she was panting after her rant.

They looked at each other and he gave her a small smile, which his witch returned. Hermione turned to Pansy. "Uhm, Pansy?"

"Yes?!" She narrowed her eyes in anger, breathing heavily.

Hermione pushed both of her lips together into a thin line, trying to suppress the smile fighting to appear. "We kind of already got to that. We want to be together." This time the smile was fully formed on her face.

Pansy fumed as she spoke, her magic crackling dangerously around her. "So… I've just spent the better part of an hour getting in here and lecturing you both for fucking nothing?!

He decided to play it safe, to appease her. An irate Pansy was _never_ a good thing. "Well, sort of." He shrugged and she narrowed her eyes. He spoke on quickly. "But thank you very much for informing us about the delegations. We probably ought to get ready." He turned to Hermione beside him. "Do you have your notes to show? What do we exempt from the information?"

Pansy opened her mouth to say something, probably something foul judging by her facial expression, but she was interrupted by the appearance of both Potter and Weasley. They were both panting as if they'd run the whole way there.

Potter spoke first. "We just got-" Pant. "-accosted by-" Pant. "-Gabrielle Delacour." He gasped for breath. "That-" Pant. "-woman-" Pant. "-is relentless." Draco wanted to grin at him, it would seem that the saviour of the wizarding world didn't keep up his fitness much. He opened his mouth to say so but Hermione nudged him in the ribs and spoke over him.

"We know, Pansy here just told us about the delegations from France and Romania. Why would they bring Gabrielle?" Draco thought he detected a bit of an edge in Hermione's voice and he had to work to keep the smirk off his face. Jealous-Hermione was fucking sexy.

Pansy had already sauntered her way over to Charlie Weasley and was currently smiling sweetly at him, it made Draco want to hurl. Charlie smiled back at her, he looked like a proper rogue and it would seem that both Pansy and Daphne liked that sort of thing. He mused that it was probably a good thing that Pansy was already taken by Blaise. Speaking of Blaise, he hadn't seen the man for ages. He ought to change that.

Potter seemed to have finally caught his breath and was now suspiciously eyeing him and Hermione, in particular her hand resting casually on his thigh. Well, he guessed it wasn't for nothing Potter had become head auror, his auror-senses were probably tingling. Draco snorted softly at his own very bad joke.

"What?" Potter seemed confused about something but Charlie seemed to take pity on both Potter and them.

Charlie smiled at the two of them on the couch. "Glad to see that you two have worked things out. For my sanity-"

Pansy broke in. "And the rest of us!"

Charlie grinned, nodding at Pansy. "-and others sanity, please keep it that way, alright?"

Draco stood, pulling Hermione up with him. "We'll try, but at least for now we're on the same page." Hermione emphasized that they were together by snaking her hand around his waist and he mimicked her.

As soon as Potter had claimed the attention of the rest in the office, he cupped and squeezed her arse. He leaned down to whisper to her. "Don't think you're off the hook gorgeous, we'll be continuing this glorious-" He paused and a smirk involuntarily graced his lips as he put all sorts of innuendoes into his tone. "- _reunion_ later."

Her cheeks went crimson and when she bit her bottom lip, he groaned deep in his throat. This witch would surely be both his salvation and his doom.

* * *

She felt more than heard the deep groan from Draco and it shook her to the core. Hermione tore herself from Draco and went to stand behind her desk, trying to grasp her sense and ignore the fact that she had just been mostly naked, caught by Pansy shagging in her office and then, to top it all off, she now carried quite a lot of unresolved sexual tension.

She straightened her back and put that from her mind to be examined and released thoroughly later. This was her case, they all waited for her to take the lead. And lead she did. She immediately set Harry on getting the reports from the watchers at the Edgecombe estate, Draco on getting an update on Lavender's accounts at Gringotts and Charlie on getting the latest status on the health of the dragons that had been transported back to Romania.

They all agreed to meet within thirty minutes at her office, while she sent off her patronus to Kingsley to tell him when they would be available. Pansy snorted and sauntered away while chatting with Charlie, completely unconcerned with having been completely ignored by Hermione when it came the case. The only thing Pansy said before she swished her hair and left the office was "Don't fuck it up."

Hermione then sat down to make a short outline of everything they had accomplished, from the very beginning of the muddled and strange dragon egg-case to the now multi-national dragon-smuggling-case. It really was an insane case and writing it all down made her more determined than ever to bring both Marietta and Jack to justice. Sofia came in with a sandwich and a tea, that woman really knew her boss well.

But as she sat down to work on the timeline, she couldn't help but think about the evolution she and Draco had been through together. They began this in private at her yoga class, with him being incredibly annoying and incredibly sexy all at once. Even then, they'd had some twisted sort of blazing chemistry that just couldn't be denied.

Though she'd tried to deny it. Twice. To deny that charged electricity between them. But they weren't done. They had lots of issues to work through and to talk about. But she knew that she wanted to work them out with him, to figure it out together. To shout and row and then have mind-boggling make-up sex afterwards. He was a conundrum and above all else, despite his youth and his occasional haughty sneer, he was a good man. A man she very easily could spend her life with.

Her mind was going off on a tangent and when there was a knock on her door, she noticed that her pen wasn't moving across the pad in front of her. She shook her head slightly and waved her hand to open the door.

Harry was the first to return to her office with a pile of files floating behind him. It turned out that he had not only gotten updates from the aurors watching the Edgecombe house, he had also collected intel from everyone who had spoken to the detainees from the dragon ring. His files were numerous and a bit unorganized but she had them tidied up in a moment.

She grinned. However unorganized Harry was, he was rather meticulous in his reports and expected the same of any of his aurors, which meant that all of the reports held all possible information they could ever need.

On their way to the minister's office, Sofia approached her with a sealed envelope from Rita. "Hermione, Rita Skeeter would like for you to read an article she has written as a follow-up to yesterdays interview. Would you like to read it? Should I send a comment to her."

Hermione bristled in anger, of course she wouldn't just leave this on the floor of the newspaper cutting floor. That loathsome little beetle. "Tell her to sod off and leave me alone. The hag."

Sofia smiled and went to send the envelope back. "I'll just tell her 'no comment' then." Hermione smiled a little, she really did have a great assistant.

* * *

To Hermione's great surprise, Theodore Nott came striding out of the lift just as they were getting on. He pivoted. "Granger, just the girl I wanted to see." She wanted to snort at his use of the word 'girl'. She hadn't been a _girl_ since before the war. He got back on the elevator with a leery expression that made her skin crawl. "I heard that you and old Drake here didn't work out and I was wondering if you would like the opportunity to sample something _much_ better."

Hermione couldn't help it. She smirked at him, a very cold, unnerving Malfoy-esque smirk which showed that she was not to be trifled with. "Nott." She gave him a piercing stare and he had no reservations to stare right back with that disgustingly hungry expression on his face. He was handsome, no doubt about that, but he had no warmth and for that, she would never want him. So she didn't say anything else, turning away from him and ignoring him.

He tried to gain her attention again with his slick voice. He felt creepy to her, there was just something about him. "Now Granger, don't play coy with me." He sounded almost happy. She got a creepy feeling that he liked the chase a bit too much. "I know you and Blondie over there are over and done, so how about dinner? At my house?"

She cocked her head at him, as though she contemplated his suggestion. "No. Why, you may ask. Because I don't want to. I am quite certain that you are the one feeding Rita Skeeter with information from that night at Vici and sending her pictures of me." She narrowed her eyes. "Does it get you off? Do you like looking at those pictures of me receiving spectacular pleasure from someone who's not _you_?" Her voice was scathing now, hard as flint, yet cold and detached. "If it was you, I will prove that you have invaded my privacy and trust me Nott, I always bring the people who have wronged me to justice. You better make sure you have every single one of your affairs in order."

He looked shocked at her rant for about a second before he quickly recovered and opened his mouth to speak just as the grates slid open. Hermione cut him off however. "I believe that your business at the ministry is concluded then Nott, please follow the guards out." Her tone could cut at the last word. She flicked her hand once and Nott was thrown on his backside before the guards in the atrium who had heard her final words. He his eyebrows knitted at her as he was lead away but he didn't speak further.

Harry shot out and informed the waiting ministry workers that they would have to take another lift. As it tumbled away towards the minister, Hermione turned around to see three men grinning at her, she got a "Well done" from Harry and Charlie, and Draco had unmistakable lust swirling in his eyes. It felt heady to see that again, just because she lost her temper. She looked at the three of them and grinned right back.

She felt ready, she _was_ ready. Ready display their findings to the delegations and the minister. Ready to push back at anyone who wronged her and those she loved. Ready to truly stop hiding from Draco. Ready to _live_ again after that fiasco with Ron.

She straightened her back and squared her shoulders as they walked into the conference room attached to the minister's office.

* * *

They were greeted by none other than Gabrielle Delacour, who practically danced over to kiss the three men and to meet Hermione rather stiffly. Hermione started setting up and not two minutes after they'd entered, she heard that throaty laugh from the Frenchwoman.

When she looked up, she saw that the annoying laugh was directed at Draco, again. Ugh. So, she did what any other woman would do.

Maybe.

"Draco, could you come here for a minute?" Her expression was as innocent as could possibly be, but from Draco's dancing expression, she definitely wasn't fooling him.

He came over and stood close to her, peering down at the documents in front of them. He leaned in and whispered to her in a dark sinful voice. "I fucking _love_ that you're so into me that she makes you jealous." Then he just nodded to her as if agreeing with something she'd said and walked across to the other side of the room to speak to Charlie. When the door opened and a whole torrent of witches and wizards entered, they all fell silent.

The rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur. Both the Romanian and French delegation was pleased with their progress and they both gave Harry three more aurors from each of their delegations to stay and help with the case, the detainees and mainly to catch the last two people at large.

The Romanians could inform them that the person, a George Mason, who they suspected had actually done the stealing of the eggs was long gone, but that his flat had traces that a branch of bowtruckles had lived with him.

She wanted to smack herself in the face. _Of course!_ Trained bowtruckles could get in anywhere and the dragons would never think to attack such a small innocent creature. Arm them with portkeys and have them open the cages a tiny bit and the portkey would take them to the designated location. In this instance, a small village on the coast of France where they had muggles waiting to ferry the eggs to London on the barge.

When Harry informed the visitors about the Edgecombe estate, they demanded to know why action hadn't been taken yet, why they hadn't apprehended Marietta and Jack yet. Harry explained, in a surprisingly calm tone, that they were watching, waiting, biding their time until the perfect moment. The French then demanded to know when the perfect moment would be and Harry, the authoritative head auror he was, only answered cryptically "Soon."

* * *

After the lengthy briefing that lasted well into the evening, Kingsley offered the four of them access to the floo in his office and they all took it gratefully. Charlie, Harry and Draco all flooed away before her and she didn't even think, she just called out Draco's flat and only when she collided with his back, did she actually realize where she was.

He was ecstatic that she was there and before she knew it, she was lying down on the sofa with this delicious man on top of her, having a prolonged make out session. Finally they didn't have to hurry, finally there was no one to interrupt them and they could enjoy each other as freely as they wanted.

So they did. He showed her, over and over for several hours before they collapsed on the bed together, not having been in or on the bed before this moment. They were both sated, finally and she was relishing the easy feeling of them being together without so many interruptions.

They had made dinner together after their first and very needy fuck on the couch and then forgotten all about dinner as he had taken her again slowly with much more precision over his kitchen island, reminiscent of their last morning together in his flat. He had her falling apart too easily but she loved every second of it.

He was stroking her hair when he suddenly turned her around with a determined look on his face, as if he just remembered something. "By the way, I meant what I said earlier and I mean it now. You're mine. I'm not letting you go unless you tell me to get away from you. I'm taking this relationship public and I don't give a shite what anyone thinks." He winked. "Well, except for you."

She hummed and nodded happily. "I'm all for that."

He kissed her softly and prolonged before he whispered sleepily. "Sweet dreams Hermione."

Her eyes flew open. Thinking about her dreams and him made her remember those eerily real dreams and suddenly she just _needed_ to know, despite the late hour. "Did you help me?"

He gave her a lazy smile. "Of course I did,-" He winked. "-I saved your fantastic arse from getting exposed to Pansy today. Why weren't you paying attention too and just tell her to fuck off?"

She chuckled while he played with her hair, it was very distracting but she wouldn't be deterred. "I didn't mean now. I meant then. During the war. At the manor."

He groaned but answered reluctantly. "Of course I did, I couldn't let that lunatic get his hands on the three of you, now couldn't I? You had to get out of the manor to get rid of him." His tone was deceptively light.

She shook her head. "No, I mean…-" Her voice was small, so she pulled at her courage to say it. "-I meant me in particular. Just me. When Bellatrix tortured me."

* * *

He sucked in a hard breath. She was a vision before him, beautiful, naked under his sheets and waiting expectantly for his answer. Her eyes were open and he could just drown in them, contented, sated and watching him with something so much more than loathing in her eyes.

His brows knitted and he sat up against the headboard and nodded slowly.

Her eyes widened. He needed to clarify. He needed her to understand.

"My mother taught me both occlumency and wandless magic early on. It only made my magic with a wand much more powerful. When the war truly began and the Dark Lord took residence in the manor, my indoctrinated beliefs came crumbling down around me. I'd heard the stories that this man was gruesome but I never knew just how horrible he could be. I didn't get it. But I did then, when I met him, when he singlehandedly tried to destroy everything. My mother intensified my lessons to ensure my safety."

"When the three of you were brought to the manor, I was terrified what they would do to you in particular. Weasley has never had much of my sympathy but I knew that you and Potter were important." He looked at her and his eyes burned into hers. "I knew that _you_ were very important." Her mouth was open in surprise.

"That day, my mother noticed me getting my wand out of my pocket and instead of stopping me, she placed her hand over mine and together we helped you. I have no idea why she chose to help you too but I was grateful that she did." He shrugged to himself. "Her healing powers are miles better than mine."

During the entire story he had gazed out of the massive window, for a moment transported years back in time.

The silence between them was thick with unsaid declarations and he wished she would speak, say something. Anything.

It seemed to go on forever before she croaked out one word. "Why?"

He sighed, trying to think back. To remember how it felt watching the scene. "As I said, I don't know. You were important. My instincts took over and I just _had_ to help you. I _had_ to help you get away. Somehow. It wasn't about Potter and it certainly wasn't about the weasel but I had to help _you_."

She frowned. "I still don't understand?"

He smiled at this woman, this spectacular witch in his arms, trying to rid himself of those horrifying memories and focus on where they were now. "I didn't for a long time either. But I do now. I had a crush on you then. Just as I do now."

She obviously decided to cling to the positives, dropping the haunting memories for both of them because she smirked. "You have a crush on me Draco?"

He gave her a wide endearing smile. "You bet your gorgeous arse I do."

She grinned. "I knew those insults were a cover for something." He started tickling her and kissing her and she just gave in to his ministrations.

They didn't speak much more that night. They panted. They moaned. And they showed each other just how big of a crush they had on the other well into the night.

* * *

Little did they know that somewhere in wizarding London in the dead of night, an article was being printed in the thousands.

Rita Skeeter grinned evilly as she unfolded a finished copy of tomorrows Daily Prophet. That would teach the little prissy-perfect missy not to lie and mess with her. Now she just needed to be at the ministry the following day to document the fallout of this _excellent_ article.

* * *

_**The deceptive lies of Golden Girl Hermione Granger EXPOSED!** _ _by special correspondent Rita Skeeter._

_Yesterday, this reporter had an interview with miss Hermione Granger printed in this paper, and I can only apologize! It is expected that the reporters of the reputable Daily Prophet has fact checked all articles that are printed and I can only say that I have been hoodwinked. By none other than miss Hermione Granger, formerly of the much-beloved Golden Trio._

_It would seem that miss Granger has spent the session with me lying through her teeth about pretty much the entirety of the interview and I can only apologize humbly to all of my dear readers._

_In my possession, I have more pictures of a very different nature of relationship between miss Granger and mr. Draco Malfoy. It would seem that a faithful reader of mine has chosen to break their silence and aid my attempt at only printing blatant truths and expose the obvious lies of miss Granger, and I am obliged to correct the fanciful deceits of yesterday's article._

_This, my dear readers, clearly shows miss Granger and mr. Malfoy enjoying each other quite explicitly in an alley close to Vici before apparating together to locations unknown to do activities unknown._

_This reporter has tried to reach miss Granger for a comment on the pictures in my possession but she was, let's say, less than forthcoming, and so, my dear readers, I will let you reach your own conclusions about the deceiving miss Granger and only leave you with this:_

_A picture is worth much more than a thousand words._


	29. The performance

Rita Skeeter usually knew how to read people. It was a part of her job to know just how far she could push someone.

 

Rita had shrugged off that Hermione Granger had imprisoned her for the entire summer when she was just a child and then blackmailed her to write that article about Harry Potter afterwards. Hermione had gotten what she wanted and then Rita just didn't really worry about it after that because she had never been threatened by the young witch since.

The deal she'd made with Narcissa Malfoy was also null and void in her opinion, and though she had once been the very pinnacle of wizarding society, Rita didn't think much of her these days. She seemed endlessly dull, going to all of those charity events and orchestrating donations and events herself.

Rita didn't seem to realize that Hermione could be as ruthless as she could be sweet, if _really_ pushed. And she wasn't the only one.

* * *

After their exceedingly satisfying shower together, they were relaxing that morning, finally content. He was making their coffee and breakfast while Hermione busied herself with her morning exercises She decidedly distracting for him but he tried very hard to focus on not pouncing on her delectable stretching form.

He felt so good, it was as if a happy hum had taken over his body and he couldn't be happier about it. His witch was barefoot and naked, except for his old Slytherin Quidditch jersey and she was the most luscious vision he had ever seen.

They had a very busy and rather dramatic day ahead of them but he didn't care. He liked this little bubble of joy they both seemed to be in this morning.

As the coffee beans were ground in his fancy muggle coffeemaker, his mind drifted to their couplings last night and he could feel his cock stirring just at the thought. She was so fucking perfect for him in so many ways.

After their very emotional conversation, he had licked her pussy for what seemed like hours, appreciating her, revering her, worshipping this goddess of a woman in his bed. He brought her to the brink of orgasm over and over before the coil within her broke and when she cried out, she flooded him with her delicious juices and he'd lapped up every drop happily.

Then he had fucked her slowly, taking his sweet time with her. Finally they weren't in a rush so he didn't care that they weren't getting much sleep that night, he took his time to get to really know her, as much as he could for one night. They would have plenty of nights to repeat this.

Now he knew that when he nipped a particularly sensitive spot just below her right nipple, she shuddered and when he thrust deep into her at a particular angle, she keened in pleasure every single time.

He also knew that she was open to explore her sexuality, because at one point he had slapped her arse in a moment of complete abandonment, she had gasped at the sudden contact and stilled which had made his heart sink for a moment before she told him to do it again.

He even knew that when she slept, she snored softly and when she dreamt, she smiled in her sleep and said his name. He knew that she felt perfect in his arms and that he didn't want to ever let her go.

The lack of the coffeemaker whirring brought him back to the present and he smiled to himself as he watched her get up and move to the counter before he turned around to hug and kiss her softly.

The owl delivering the Daily Prophet arrived at the window so she walked over, paid it and then sent on its way again before just placing the paper on the counter without really looking at it. About five minutes later, their food was ready and when they sat down at the counter to eat, Hermione reached for the newspaper and they ate in silence for a few minutes.

A sudden gasp from her, made him start from his musings. "What's wrong? Has something happened?" Hermione crumbled the Daily Prophet in her hands with a murderous expression. He wasn't sure what to do.

"That odious hag. That lowlife of a wretched excuse for a witch!" Hermione was seething, completely consumed by rage and he sort of liked it. Her magic seemed to take on a life of its own and she so seemed powerful and determined. _That's my witch_ he thought smugly.

Still, he had to know what the problem was. "Hermione, what's in the paper?"

She flipped the newspaper to him and slammed her hand on page while she angrily roared. "This!"

His eyebrows flew into his hairline and he groaned involuntarily. As he took in the article, Hermione started pacing and muttering all the while. He was about to speak because they really needed to discuss this, when his floo roared to life and his mother, impeccably attired as ever, even despite the early hour, stepped out of the grate.

He almost cricked his neck when he spun towards her. Her expression was serious, even grim as she slammed a copy of the Daily Prophet on the counter. Her jaw was set and her posture stiff. What was it with all the slamming on his poor countertop today?

His mother looked between them once, determination etched on her face. "While I of course am thrilled to see the two of you together in a casual setting such as this, I must implore you both to get ready." She paused dramatically for a moment.

"We're going Skeeter-hunting."

* * *

Marietta Edgecombe was sitting cross-legged on the floor of her once immaculate childhood home. She was humming a melody from her childhood and looked around with a bored expression on her face. She didn't care how the house looked really. She wanted new curtains though and she needed galleons for that. So she had taken out some of the money from the dragon fights. It was easy really, they hadn't frozen her assets yet and the money was hers anyway. It was just precaution that the accounts had been put in Lavender's name.

Lavender had been crazy easy to convince to put her name on the accounts and Marietta had used it to her full advantage. She was sure that the authorities hadn't discovered her accounts in France too. That was plenty of galleons that even Jack didn't know about so she didn't tell anyone.

Jack came into the room and she didn't move an inch, she just kept on humming. She might have gone a bit nuts and when her temper flared it was probably the safest for living things to be elsewhere, but she wasn't stupid.

Since their operation had been shut down, she acted even crazier around Jack to throw him off. Well, her temper tantrums wasn't an act, she really was _that furious_ and it was a brilliant way to get some pent up energy released. She was saving up money for a large mansion on the coast of France, for a specialized doctors appointment for her facial marring and to go on a no-limits shopping spree on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, because what woman didn't?

She wanted her cousin out of that filthy place and the ministry bees had to pay, _especially Hermione Granger,_ and then they could leave for France immediately. And Jack was a way to achieve that goal, it would be very difficult for her to do all of that alone.

He was saying something, something about them going to the ministry the next day and getting them out. They needed some supplies that they could get that afternoon. She was all for it, the faster she could get out of the country, the better. She was sick of the rain and the cold but she probably should see to those curtains first.

She stood up and faced him, still humming. He was a rather attractive man to her, all rough, huge and devilish. She might as well take advantage of them having been alone together for so long. They both needed a release before their attack. She waved her wand once and her robes fell away. She was completely nude underneath.

She cocked her head at him, still humming the same tune and waiting for him to act.

It didn't take him long to realize what she wanted. He wasn't the smartest person she'd ever met but he did make her cry out in pleasure a couple of times as he pounded roughly and relentlessly into her.

* * *

Draco was slightly shocked, his mother never said anything without a _proper_ greeting. He'd even received a scolding when he'd once greeted Pansy with a hug when they were just eight.

Hermione smirked and he loved seeing that expression on her, it made his pants much too tight. She was so agitated that she moved rather choppily, he reckoned it must be due to the rage pulsing through her.

Draco was almost jumping with excitement for them going to the ministry. He didn't actually jump of course, no Malfoy would, but he was grinning when he nodded to his mother, gave Hermione a quick kiss and disappeared into his bedroom to change. Hermione grabbed her clothes quickly and flooed to her flat to change.

Before he was finished with his hair however, Hermione had returned. She was speaking amicably with his mother when he entered. Hermione seemed to have calmed down somewhat but when she turned her eyes to him, he could see the blazing fire in them. They had work to do first and she was obviously more than ready, before they were actually going to work.

Narcissa gave him a quick appraisal before she straightened her already ramrod straight back. "I have set the family barrister to work pressing charges against the Daily Prophet and Rita Skeeter herself for slander, falsification and invasion of privacy. They will be notified before nine o'clock today." The smallest smirk was gracing her lips and Draco couldn't stop smirking himself. His mother had finally found a cause where she wouldn't relent instead of all of those charities, despite their completely justified causes. "However,-" She paused and gave them both a stern look. "-we need to capture her first and unfortunately we need _valid_ reasons." He could hear the consternation evident in her tone. She much preferred handling issues directly.

Hermione's smirk widened and he wanted to groan, by the fucking Gods, that woman was fucking sexy in revenge-mode. "Well Narcissa, I actually hold something over her that I decided to release to wider public today when I read that article. I believe that miss Skeeter has had far too free reigns for far too long. She's an unregistered animagus who takes the shape of a fat buzzing beetle with markings around her eyes matching her spectacles."

He gaped. What the actual fuck? How the hell did she know that?

He had completely forgotten all about that fiasco during fourth year where Skeeter had merely told him that a large beetle would perch itself on his shoulder and that particular beetle would be a direct line to her. He had told the beetle so much random shite, he'd tried to mess with Potter and it had almost worked. He rolled his eyes at himself. He'd been such a little wanker back then.

His mother however, ever the society witch, kept a completely composed face at the revelation and merely nodded. "I quite agree with you dear, it can go on no longer. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, that is certainly a most valid reason. However, we have to make certain that you are not implicated in keeping vital evidence from the ministry. That woman has been buzzing around for stories for years."

Hermione just shrugged. "I didn't really think about it, she hasn't attacked me or my friends for years. I thought we had an understanding but now everything is off the table. I sort of want her reputation torn to shreds."

His mother smirked with an evil glint in her eyes. "My, my Hermione. I believe you could have thrived in Slytherin after all, despite your other qualities that the founder didn't necessarily value high enough."

Hermione scoffed with a smile. "Thank you, but I think I was probably too foolhardy for that."

He cut in, this level of camaraderie between his mother and his… his witch was somewhat disconcerting… and very good but disconcerting all the same. "So, how are we doing this?"

* * *

Rita was thoroughly enjoying herself at the ministry.

She had casually hinted at her deep inside knowledge to three of the unspeakables and they had no idea how she got her information. Their looks were always priceless. It obviously wasn't _her_ fault that they would be talking about their findings in muggle pubs without even a silencing charm around them and not paying attention to the beetle scurrying around underneath the table or on their hats. She planned an exposé on the goings on in depths of the ministry but she needed a lot more information than just snippets of conversation, so while she was waiting for the little miss prissy and her blonde beau, she was plotting how to get into the Department of Mysteries.

She relished having so many secrets, she relished having so many in the wizarding world at her beck and call because she knew _everything_ worth knowing. And those few who knew her own secrets, she had dealt with swiftly.

Only Little miss Perfect had managed to actually make some minor damage, but that was inconsequential because she was firmly back on top, on form and ready to take her on again, whatever may happen.

A heavy-set harassed looking man, mr. Turner from the Daily Prophet legal department was hurrying towards her, sweating and looking quite unsanitary. She pursed her lips at him, waiting for him to speak but he was only wheezing. It seemed she had to give him time to catch his breath before he could impart something to her and then leave.

She crossed her arms and tapped her feet impatiently. No one would speak to her with this huffing man beside her.

* * *

Narcissa had practically dictated how this was going to happen and she gleefully watched her and Draco disappear in the flames on the floo. She had sent her patronus to Harry and it had returned within minutes to confirm that he would meet her in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic.

When she arrived, Narcissa and Draco was conversing amicably with Rita and a shorter man who seemed rather distressed. Well, at least it looked like it was amicable but she saw the little tells that both Malfoys had, strained shoulders and set jaws. It was very subtle but there all the same.

"Hermione!" Harry called her name, followed by Ginny right behind him.

She hugged them both. "Ginny, what are you doing here?"

Ginny just smirked and narrowed her eyes at Rita. "Watching that hag get her long overdue comeuppance." Sometime she forgot that the redhead had a particularly brutal streak that she'd really appreciated during the war.

Narcissa subtly waved them closer to her, Draco, Rita and a plump red-faced man. Rita had a quite pinched look about her. Hermione wanted to laugh evilly and rub it in her face but she couldn't. She had to stay out of it. The lawsuit wasn't the only accusations they were bringing to Rita's doorstep.

"Miss Skeeter-" Narcissa spoke in a clear, regal and controlled voice, injected with just a smidgen of false sweetness. Her voice carried through the atrium. "-may I ask how you came into possession of such damming pictures of Draco? And also, how can you be certain that the photo in the alleyway is my son and miss Granger? Where is the evidence of this so-called sordid affaire? The photo is so grainy and unfocused. The accompanying article is nothing more than speculations, make-believe and unfiltered bile with only one focus. I must say, your so-called _skilled_ reporting is rather perplexing to me." She almost sneered the words but didn't. Hermione made a mental note to _never_ cross Narcissa Malfoy.

They had quite the audience now, a hushed silence had taken hold on the atrium and Narcissa's precise voice carried through the massive room.

Narcissa then turned to the man beside Rita. "My apologies mr. Turner but no, we will in no way drop the charges against the Daily Prophet. How your magazine can employ such a person and publish the excuses she calls articles without proper editing or proof of her ludicrous assertions is absolutely beyond me. I can no longer stand by while she attacks anyone who has ever crossed her in any way. Take miss Granger for example. She spoke up against miss Skeeter's deplorable tactics during the Triwizard Tournament when she was just fifteen and miss Skeeter still holds that grudge, evident in the many scathing articles she's had published about her since."

Rita had blanched at this point, angry red blotches was framing her face and her fists were clenched.

Narcissa however, wasn't finished. "Now miss Skeeter, I have heard a somewhat mystifying rumour that you are spying on your sensation-victims by being an unregistered animagus." The large crowd started murmuring angrily and Narcissa held a deliberate pause, letting them speculate. She certainly had a flair for dramatics that she'd passed on to her son. He gasped and frowned and nodded at all the right places. After the muttering had died down, she continued in a soothing voice. "While I'm sure this is quite untrue,-" She patted Rita on her shoulder in a way that could be seen as comforting but it came across very condescending to Hermione and she had to stifle a laugh. "-I would like to know if there is an auror present?"

At her question, she turned to the room at large and Harry took his cue. "Mrs. Malfoy, I am an auror. How can I be of assistance today?" He also kept his voice pleasant and professional and Rita was growing increasingly red. She didn't have anywhere to run and she knew it.

Hermione was relishing the scene before her. Narcissa was a master at manipulating and questioning in a way that made her seem like a pleasant and polite woman, leaving the person who'd been verbally cut down with no misinterpretations as to her point but the people around them would see her as a perfectly gracious woman.

"Auror Potter, I thank you for assisting me in this matter." Narcissa was all grace and gratitude and Hermione was suitably impressed with the show older witch put on. "I'm afraid that I would ask you to check if miss Skeeter is an unregistered animagus. I have heard this fanciful rumour that she would spy on her article subjects as an animal and I would like prefer that these foul rumours be lain to rest. Then we can focus on more _important_ matters." She gave mr. Turner a pointed look and he looked deflated, he obviously still had hopes to persuade her to drop the lawsuit.

Harry went over to Rita with a polite smile but his eyes glittered with gleeful anticipation, Rita deserved all that was about to befall her.

"Hello again miss Skeeter." She nodded stiffly, angry at having been caught with such a massive audience that grew with every passing minute. "Are you an unregistered animagus?"

Her eyes swivelled in her head, trying to find a way out of her predicament and she didn't answer. Harry continued undaunted. "I do not require an answer miss Skeeter, but you should know that if you do not answer and you indeed are an unregistered animagus, the eventual sentence can be increased if you have withheld information. I will force your animagus form from you with a spell but if you're not an animagus, no harm will come to you."

Rita seemed like a dear caught in headlights and she was mute, she couldn't speak a single word. Harry turned to the throng around them. "Please back up, I have to encase her form in the event that she is an animagus, we cannot have any harm come to any of you." He smiled at the crowd and they all smiled indulgently back at Harry, he caught Draco rolling her eyes at their reactions to the 'dreamy chosen one' as a witch behind her called him with admiration in her voice.

A golden cage of sorts erupted from Harry's wand and wound its way silently around Rita, completely encasing her and the crowd ooh'd and ahh'd. Hermione had to admit that the cage was rather pretty. A few random flashes let her know that other members of the press were present. _Perfect._

Behind Draco, she spotted some movement, Pansy had arrived and she was grinning ever more widely as Draco quietly recounted the events for her. They spoke quietly and Draco gave her a piercing look when she explained something. Then she narrowed her eyes at him with a set jaw and he seemingly conceded with a nod and turned back to the display that was Rita Skeeter.

Harry then started waving his wand in complicated movements without speaking. She knew he did this to avoid anyone knowing the incantation, the aurors and the unspeakables had that in common, they guarded their secrets. A lovely sparkling light-green string erupted from Harry's wand and wound its way around Rita. There was no sound and it took a blink of an eye but Hermione knew what to look for.

Rita was gone and in her place on the floor was an angry fat buzzing beetle with markings around the eyes. The cameras flashed at the beetle. It was stuck to the floor of Harry's conjured cage and a loud scandalized gasp from behind Draco drew everyone's attention.

Pansy stepped out from behind Draco, her eyes watering and her lip quivering. "I… I didn't know it was _her_." Her voice broke on the last word and then she burst into tears. Hermione thought she was overdoing it a bit but looking around, the crowd ate it right up.

This was turning into a rather dramatic performance in the full view of a packed atrium and members of the press. She couldn't wait to see beetle-Rita on the front page of the Prophet the following day.

Narcissa and Draco stepped forward and comforted Pansy with the utmost grace. Pansy was hiding her face and Narcissa whispered something to her very quietly. Hermione was quite impressed with the display. It seemed highly coordinated. Something she wouldn't put past Narcissa to orchestrate. That woman was decidedly formidable.

Everyone in the vicinity seemed to have forgotten all about Rita in beetle-form, well, except her and Harry, but all eyes were focused on Pansy when she looked directly at Harry. "Auror Potter, I have seen this beetle countless times before. When I asked Rita about it on one occasion where she published an article about me and my fiancée that she couldn't possibly have heard from anywhere else, she just said that I shouldn't worry my little head about it and that I should just know that she knew everything. The implied threat was clear to me at the time." She sniffled for effect and the entire audience was hanging on her every word. Hermione wanted to applause.

Harry retained his professional demeanour perfectly. "And will you be willing to provide memories of the times you have seen this beetle?"

Pansy nodded, still sniffling. "Yes sir, I will."

Harry then turned to the crowd at large. "Please disperse, we will take this to a more proper venue. Mrs. Malfoy, miss Parkinson, mr. Turner, please follow me." He then levitated the beetle in the magical cage before him and the flashes were going off everywhere as Rita was paraded through the entirety of the atrium as an angry fat beetle.

Hermione grabbed Ginny and motioned for Draco to follow them, all of them with sober professional expressions. Neither of them said a word before they reached her office where she shut, silenced and warded the door heavily.

Then they all burst into raucous laughter, retelling the story over and over from their angle and praising Narcissa, Pansy and Harry's performance to the heavens.

Rita Skeeter would never write an article about anyone ever again.


	30. Get ready

Ginny proceeded to spend thirty minutes following the Rita-debacle interrogating her and Draco about their relationship. The deeply prying questions were intermingled with a few aww´s when they answered some of her questions and cryptically avoided the rest.

"Gin, why do you want to know all of this?"

She just shrugged, completely unconcerned with her invasive snooping into their private life. "Why? Because I'm fucking curious, that's why."

She then turned to Draco with a massive grin. "Your mum is fucking brilliant! Terrifying but brilliant! I mean, between her and my mum they could rule the bloody world!"

Hermione smiled but she was dubious. "Are you sure they wouldn't just slaughter each other?"

Ginny scoffed. "Of course not, they'd get on like a goddamn house on fire! They're even distantly related and all, which means that so are we." She winked at Draco who looked aghast. "They just need to talk over some of the issues. Ooh, I have an idea! Bring Andromeda and Teddy and we'll all have dinner at the Burrow tonight!"

Draco looked absolutely horror-struck. She wasn't sure if it would be the amount of Weasleys present or the fact that Ginny wanted him to bring his mum to the Burrow. She intervened before he could say anything. "Tonight? Are you sure? What about Ron?"

She scoffed again. "What about him? The moody wanker is fucking depressing to be around. I'll see if I can't just get him to stay in his room."

Hermione shook her head. "That wasn't what I meant. The case isn't closed yet, I'm not sure we should be around him in private before it's all closed."

"Oh." She realized that it might have some ramifications at the ministry. "Goddammit. We've been invited to dinner there tonight." She frowned, obviously thinking hard. "Maybe Harry can't go either?" Hermione just shrugged but Ginny brightened all the same. "Ohh! He interrogated Ron. Excellent, I guess we can't go either before the case is finished. Maybe we should just get your mum and mine to have tea one day. At Andromeda's perhaps?"

Draco looked so completely bamboozled by Ginny's chaotic train of thought that he just blinked and nodded. Hermione barely caught a giggle at his reaction and decided to avoid actually telling him what he'd just agreed to. Yet.

Somehow, over the past half an hour, Ginny had decided that she liked Draco enough to _not_ give him a particularly hard time. She only emphasized that despite what her idiot brother thought, Hermione was a part of the Weasley's, whether she wanted to be or not and that made him family too now that he was with Hermione.

She then started exuberantly planning an elaborate celebration of Rita's imprisonment and only shrugged and answered with a grin when Hermione suggested that it might be a bit distasteful. "Fuck that bitch, she was the distasteful one!"

* * *

Outside the holding cells at the ministry, Harry was scratching his head in frustration. He didn't really want to deal with Rita, that woman had made his life hell too many times, so he decided to use his prerogative as head auror to send in someone impartial. Well, someone impartial- _ish_.

A few hours later he stood outside watching Terry Boot absolutely shred every single story, explanation and justification of why she had chosen not reveal her status as an illegal animagus to the ministry.

Terry wasn't letting her take charge of the conversation, despite that they'd been at it for hours at this point. Every time she veered off topic, he sharply reminded her that it was outside of the charges she was facing and that they should probably concentrate on the relevant charges at hand.

He smiled in grim satisfaction, happy that he wasn't in the room, Rita could surely make him lose control. That was one thing he'd learned as an auror, his own boundaries. There was no reason for him to tell himself to stay calm in the face of Rita. Even now, outside the room, she made his blood curdle with her alternated syrupy sweet smiles and thinly veiled threats. Rita had ruined too many lives with her stories just to sell papers.

Rita then tried to get Hermione in trouble by talking about the kidnapping during the summer between their fourth and fifth year, explaining how she had been caught and the subsequently blackmailed by her. Harry held his breath, knowing full well that it was a completely true story but Terry threw his head back and laughed heartily, earning himself a deep scowl from Rita.

Still smiling widely, Terry said. "No one will ever believe that story. Besides, _if_ it were true, and I'm definitely not saying it is, then you have just implicated yourself in spying on at least a dozen people in your animagus form at Hogwarts, which is yet another offence. These explanations of yours are far-fetched, even more so than I'm used to. Your trial should be very entertaining."

Terry left a still scowling Rita behind to speak to Harry outside. "This one is obviously cracked. Did you hear her accusation towards Hermione." He chuckled again. "I'll go hand in my recommendations to the Wizengamot. Her trial is set for the day after tomorrow."

"What will they be?" Harry wanted to know what Terry thought.

"Azkaban, for at least eight years, and then mandatory community service afterwards. Obviously she needs a visit from a mind healer at least once a month too. There's something wrong with this one." He rolled his eyes, chuckling again and left Harry standing with a smile on his face outside Rita's holding cell.

* * *

Hermione's day was completely crammed with meetings, updates and paperwork. How she wished it wasn't so paper-heavy working at the ministry but she couldn't get out of it.

She only had time for a quick lunch brought by Sophia and then it was right back to work. No meditation, no yoga in the evenings, nothing. Just a frantic hurdling towards the finish line of the case. Maybe she needed her yoga?

She had always had a propensity to jump to conclusions and her meditations made her thought process much more refined. In another word, better. She might have a bit of ruthlessness in her but she had always kept it at bay, or at least made rational decisions. Now though, her need to lock away Marietta and Jack was rising every time she had to put the horrors from the fights on the parchment before her.

She was sure that Draco's day was the same. Sure that they could both feel it, the end of this case. They had unravelled the entirety of the network but they still needed to catch the last two people and she'd be damned if they didn't complete their job. And then she could do her yoga and meditations as much as she wanted to.

There was a knock at her door and Charlie entered with a massive grin on his face. "Hey Hermione, how are you?"

She smiled back. "Good, busy and I have a meeting in ten minutes but what can I do for you?"

He sat down with a groan. "Well, actually I was wondering if you have time to talk about Daphne?"

She frowned. "Sure, is anything wrong?"

He sighed heavily, very out of character for Charlie. "No no, I'm just, well, I'm worried really."

She couldn't imagine him worrying about anything in relation to Daphne. "Worried about what?

He huffed loudly. "That I'm not good enough for her. Or exciting enough. Or just enough, really. She's amazing and beautiful inside and out and I…-" He ran his hands though his hair. "-I don't know if I'm just worried over nothing or…-" He cricked his neck. "-or maybe I'm just confused, I don't know. And-"

Hermione stopped his jagged flow in its tracks. "Charlie, please calm down. I think you're absolutely perfect for Daphne, and yes, as a _dragon-tamer_ ,-" She underscored that job title with a pointed look. "-I'm pretty sure that you're exciting enough for her too." He tried to interrupt but she stopped him. "Charlie, you're a good man. Just be yourself with her, I'm sure that's good enough."

"But she's so incredible!" He stood up and started pacing. "I mean, she handles hatchlings like a pro and they love her. The dragons all fucking love her and I'm so fucking head over heels I don't even know what to do with myself. She's so perfect for me that I'm shit-scared to fuck it up and I don't want to imagine my life without her anymore but we've only just fucking met! This is way _way_ too intense and I don't want to scare her off."

Hermione just smiled a knowing smile and finally took pity on him. "Have you considered that she might be feeling the same way?"

He stopped pacing abruptly, seemingly completely stumped. He looked at her with wide eyes and a slightly panicked expression.

"Okay, don't pass out on me or anything." He nodded, still with that expression so she continued. "I don't know what Daphne thinks, but I think you should talk about this. Maybe you shouldn't tell her about your undying love just yet but you should definitely talk. That was Pansy's advice to me and Draco and well, we haven't gotten around to it just yet, but we will follow her advice."

He nodded again. "Alright. I'll talk to her, I'm making us dinner at mine tonight. Wish me luck?"

She stood up with a lavish smile. "I wish you all the luck in the world, Charlie." She hugged him tightly.

He leaned into her, clearly trying to absorb some of her positivity. When they parted and he was on the way out the door, he pivoted and his grin was infectious. "By the way, I heard about Skeeter. Fucking nice work that. Draco's mum sounds like a posh badass."

Hermione grinned right back. "She _is_ a posh badass, nicely put Charlie."

They hugged again and he left, leaving Hermione to hurry to her meeting with the minister.

* * *

Draco felt strange. He felt frantic somehow, as if he had to hurry.

Harry (And when the _hell_ had he started thinking about Potter as Harry anyway?) had been by with the latest report from the aurors stationed outside the Edgecombe estate and something was happening and soon. Jack had gotten more focused and seemingly more determined, which had also been mirrored in less mindless screeching from the house.

After discussing the report biefly with Harry, he made another couple of trips to the manor to deposit some of the important documents of their discoveries. His mother, ever the practical woman, falsified some of the documents for him to take back with him, so it didn't seem as though he had deliberately moved documents outside of the ministry to any outsiders watching a bit too closely. Both Hermione, Charlie, Harry and even the minister himself knew what he was doing and why. They had to be careful.

The French aurors were hanging around the auror department and, much to Harry's dismay, so was Gabrielle. She was shamelessly flirting with every man in her immediate vicinity, which unfortunately meant that Harry Potter himself went with him on the last run to Malfoy Manor.

When they appeared just outside the gates, Harry gaped. "Whoa, I'd forgotten how huge this place is. No wonder you were a little pompous shite during school."

Draco just rolled his eyes. "Whatever scarface, let's just get this over with." Harry's only answer was a grin and he frowned, his jabs must be getting blunter. Was that a good or a bad thing? Well, if it let him keep Hermione, then it must be good.

They walked into the dining room where the entire surface of the room was scattered with white flowers. He frowned. Why the fuck would his mother have only white flowers? He knew she preferred blue lilies.

She came forward and kissed him on the cheek as if he hadn't already been by two times before that very same day. "I am gathering a bouquet for you to send to Hermione dear, she mentioned briefly that she likes white flowers and I didn't know which kind, so I'll make sure she gets a bit of everything." She started fussing with the flowers. "Well no, not everything but a measly little bouquet will simply not do."

Behind him, Harry was shaking with mirth and he ground his teeth. "Potter, I swear I will punch you if you don't stop that instantly." His voice was flat and annoyed and somehow that only made the Gryffindor laugh even harder. Draco just rolled his eyes and muttered. "For fucks sake. Bloody fucking saviour my arse."

His mother cocked her head at Harry. "May I ask what seems to be amusing you mr. Potter?"

That stopped him cold mid-laugh. Fucking figures. "Well,-" A blush was creeping up his cheeks. That served him right. "-it just seems so old-fashioned, yet so _Draco_ to give Hermione flowers."

His mother narrowed her eyes for a fraction of a second. "I rather disagree with you there mr. Potter. Giving someone flowers is an estimable gentlemanly thing to do. I know for a fact that Draco would give her flowers rather soon and I'd rather he had the perfect bouquet from our lush gardens than settle for something store-bought." She almost sneered but didn't, it was a kind of art the Malfoy parents had down to a tee. He was still working on his own. "When was the last time you came home with flowers to your wife?"

Her question was oh-so-innocent but he could tell that Harry got the point from his slight flinch. "I didn't think she wanted any."

The reply was cutting but somehow soothing at the same time. "You thought wrong. Every woman wants flowers, no matter how sporadically." She turned back to him with a smile. "These will be delivered to Hermione this afternoon, please write the card darling." She gestured to the card lying in pristine condition surrounded by cut-off stems and discarded leaves. It wasn't a question so he sat down.

His mother then proceeded to educate Harry on why women like flowers, even if they only lasted a couple of days in a vase (Harry's only main argument against flowers) and in the end he just stood beside her and nodded dutifully. It was an extraordinarily satisfying sight.

He finished the card with a flourish and with a kiss to his mother's cheek, they flooed back to the ministry. When they reached his office Harry flopped into a chair with a hazy expression. "Do you think Ginny would want flowers?"

Draco snorted. "What the fuck? Why the hell should I know Harry, she's your bloody wife, ask her. Or better yet, ask Hermione. She might know."

Harry stood, nodding and walked out of his office with a speculating squint in his eyes. Draco yelled. "Oi! Bye you bloody wanker!"

Harry stuck his head back in the doorway and made an exceedingly rude gesture. Draco merely grinned. He was starting to get the hang of these people. He could actually be himself around them. Who fucking knew?

The rest of the afternoon, he spent pleasantly enough, working and gathering their mounting evidence towards the people in the holding cells below and the two still on the loose.

By the time he finished, he got up to go to Hermione's office. He hadn't really seen her since their interrogation by Ginny that morning and he wanted to see her and to hear what she thought of the flowers.

She was there of course, scribbling away in that frantic sort of pace that had made sure that she aced every single class in school ever. He stood for a moment in her doorway and just watched her. He was a lucky man, that was for sure. The fact that this woman actually gave him the time of day, despite their past, just showed what kind of woman she was. Always willing to give someone a second chance. He took it with both hands and feet.

He strode into her office with renewed determination and pulled her to her feet. She smiled when she saw him and her eyes darkened instantly with desire and something more. He wanted that something more.

They kissed deeply, prolonged and happily. Her velvety sweetness almost tipped him over and he wanted her right then and there, she was just perfect to him. Even with her temper and all.

He groaned when he heard someone come running down the hall and the Boy Wonder himself stuck his head inside wide-eyed. His annoyance quickly gave way to that frantic feeling again. "They're gone from the estate, we have to get the last things ready by the holding cells. Now!"

They extracted themselves from each other and took off running, Hermione only stopping briefly to ward her office.

This was hopefully going to be the end of this wretched case.

* * *

Outside the ministry, deep in the heart of London, two people were getting ready to strike. Marietta moved stealthily despite the bag slung over her shoulder, more stealthily than he thought she was able to as they closed in on the ministry. They moved through the early evening traffic towards an inconspicuous old muggle telephone booth that had an out of order sign on it.

They stepped in and dialled the code for entry, luckily it had never been changed since Marietta's mother had been there and the telephone booth started moving slowly.

He was weary of her, she had a manic glint in her eyes that made him want to stay behind her. He didn't want to be caught in the crossfire when she started shooting random spells left, right and center. She was fidgety, she kept muttering to herself and jerking her head this way and that. He couldn't wait to be rid of her.

They descended into the atrium of the ministry with ease. Not many people were there and no one gave them a second glance. He looked around with arrogance.

Invasion of the ministry? This wouldn't be a problem.

They would be in and out before anyone noticed anything amiss.


	31. Fight and flight

They sped down the corridors of the ministry. Harry was sending out a new patronus stag every five steps to gather as many people, probably only aurors, as they could because they knew that Marietta and Jack would be moving towards the holding cells. They needed to get there before them.

She felt it all in slow motion. As if time itself had slowed down to a pace where she could scrutinize both Harry and Draco within a single stride of her legs.

Draco seemed determined, eyes narrowed and focused with complete intent on that something that was in their way. She took a single second to focus on him, on that beautifully wicked man that seemed to be all hers. She _wanted_ him to be hers.

She would have never cracked this case without him. He was smart, so smart that she may have actually found her equal in love of books and research. He was sarcastically snarky and yet still funny with that dark humour of his, sweet when he wanted to be and not to forget, sexy as fuck. Somehow, he only had to look at her to make her heart pound, a blush would steel up her cheeks and her core would clench deliciously.

He was equal parts insecure, soft and protective, just as he was cunning, snarky and overbearing. And still, she had fallen so hard for this enigma of a man. He knew her all too well despite the short span of their relationship. He would never cross any boundaries with her and he would always stop if he even suspected that she was uncomfortable in any way. But she never was.

She had fallen in love with him. All of him. That of course, didn't mean that he didn't have faults but they were a part of him and all of those parts made up this perfect man beside her. Well, he probably wasn't perfect. She scoffed inwardly, nope, he definitely wasn't, but he was perfect for her and that was all that really mattered.

And Harry, her very best friend in the world, looked ready to take down Voldemort himself again. The determination was obvious in the set of his jaw and the tightness around his shoulders.

She knew that this case was tearing at him. He was used to tracking down all sorts of dark witches and wizards, the stealth and the only people in danger was himself and the team he was on mission with. Now it was different, even if it was by his own choice because they were coming _here_ , to the ministry. And it was _her_ plan they were following. All of this had been _her_ idea. The waiting for them to act, the watching of the Edgecombe estate, the preparations and the trap itself. She hoped to all the gods that this would work.

They were running towards the corridor outside the holding cells to cast an insurmountable amount of spells to ensure that both Marietta and Jack were trapped without any possible escape. They had decided to take this confrontation into the ministry to avoid any further loss of life. They all knew Jack's catalogue of spells but hers were an unknown factor. They weren't certain what she was capable of.

Harry turned his wand on himself and the two beside him with a consternate expression. She frowned at him and he just said. "Tracking charm, just in case." She nodded as they ran on, ignoring all of the puzzled looks thrown their way and down the back stairs as fast as their legs would carry them.

They arrived to a corridor that was fast filling with people, aurors from Britain, France and Romania working side by side. Some of them voiced their curiosity about why so many aurors were gathered to catch just two people, so Harry stepped forward to brief them all about what they could be expecting. Many people wore frowns when he informed them of their suspicions about Marietta's mental instability and the brutal nature of Jack's spells.

Hermione and Draco were working at a frantic pace, setting up the trip jinxes, trap-nets on the cell doors and ensuring that the doors of each holding cell couldn't be opened from the outside by anyone other than the three of them, the highest levels of ministry aurors or the minister for magic himself.

Hermione's wards on the outer corridor by the elevator went off and they all froze for a single second. Harry then started silently pointing people in different directions, there were nods all around and they moved to their placed. The protective shields were in place and their wands was at the ready.

They were here.

* * *

Marietta scoffed softly when she felt the wards that were set up to alert to their presence. Only Jack thought this would be easy but she knew it wouldn't. Even though there was nothing to see, she felt the magical gate close tightly shut behind them. There was only one way out now and that was forward.

She wasn't here to collect her cousin if it was an improbable quest and it started to seem as though it was, so she changed her tactics immediately and was now primarily here for revenge. She wanted to scar, maim and even possibly permanently swat those little buzzing ministry bees once and for all.

It was what they _deserved_.

She clenched her jaw and pulled out two sets of goggles. Having lots of galleons right there in your pocket along with a simple disguise allowed you to buy lots of non-prohibited items that were mainly meant for pranking but had many more nefarious possibilities.

That was always the problem with everyone around. Even her former friend Cho had been much too narrow-minded. Everything could be used to your advantage if you knew how and she always knew. Only that horrid little lump of a man, Mundungus had known too. He had so many tricks up his sleve, that he had even fooled her a few times. They hadn't been able to contact him in weeks. Where was that little scum scuttling around anyway? She contemplated teaching him a lesson too but for now it was all about these little annoying ministry bees. She hated them with her entire being. Those who capitalized and her family had been left destitute. They had to pay. She would find a way to see it through. And no one would be able to stop her.

She wasn't a Ravenclaw for nothing. Bowtruckles, dragons, men, women, Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, a great disillusionment charm and intimate knowledge of almost every secret about the ministry. Some secrets had even been lost with the fall of former minister Thicknesse, but she _knew_. Her mother had told her _everything_ worth knowing.

She pointed her wand at herself and felt the cold trickle down her entire frame as her form blended seamlessly in with her surroundings. She cocked her head as she smirked towards the holding cells she knew was at the end of the hall.

She felt a slight stirring in her left coat pocket and two of her bowtruckles stuck their heads out. She held her hand in front of her pocket and they leaped onto it. She leaned in and she whispered to them. "Come now my darlings. Do as we practiced." Then she sat them on the floor and they scurried away towards the cells. She mentally shrugged, she didn't actually care much if they succeeded, but she had to try to get her cousin out as least once.

She smirked and put on her goggles, handing the other to Jack and they crept forward eagerly, each with their own agenda in mind. She pointed her wand to her own throat and muttered _sonorous_. She cackled loudly and the sound reverberated around the hall and down towards the area where she was certain the ministry bees were waiting.

She hoped they hated the sound of her laugh. She hoped they would choke on that hate.

Out from her other pocket, she pulled a small metal box filled to the brim with black powder and with a grin and more cackles, she released the contents and charmed it to fly towards the area at the end of the hall. She added another spell to make it swirl around and then a stasis charm to give them as much time in the darkness as possible.

It was pitch black to them of course, but not to her. She wore goggles that could see through the dense dark mist, thanks to those freaky Weasley brothers. At least they were good for _something_ more than just meaningless disruptions at Hogwarts.

There were shouts, grumblings and someone shouted for Instant Lightness Powder so she knew they had to move fast. Maybe they had some and maybe they hadn't, but time was a serious factor here.

She entered the corridor outside the cells and she barely contained a gasp. The corridor was completely jammed with aurors all around them. Some she knew and some she didn't. So she decided to scatter them, throw them off and keep her eyes on the prize. Her cousin was a lost cause and so was Jack's brother so they needed to stay focused. She didn't give two shites about Jack at this stage. All she wanted was to do damage. A _lot_ of damage.

And the prize was coming with her, out of the ministry. They needed to have a little chat, _girl to girl_.

* * *

Narcissa watched the tea like a hawk, it should always be handled delicately and with patient care. You should _never_ rush a good cup of tea. Her house elf Mottie brought cups and saucers for all of them along with a selection of biscuits on a platter.

The three-person delegation from the Daily Prophet was perched awkwardly on her most spindly sofa, purchased for this very intention. To remind these people to whom they were speaking and to ensure that they didn't feel overly comfortable in the manor. Only family and close friends were allowed that sort of indulgence and then the sofa transformed itself into a plush comfortable sofa that you could stay on for days.

They all gaped at the impeccably dressed house elf serving them happily while humming a little tune. Mottie was wearing a particularly fetching dress today made of thick dark green velvet and so many ruffles that she might have been swallowed by the dress if it wasn't for the expert cut that made her seem to float around the room rather than drown in fabric. The whole ensemble was topped off with a hat that could possibly rival any hat at that muggle Royal Ascot. Personally, Narcissa thought that Mottie looked absolutely enchanting.

Mr. Turner from the Daily Prophet coughed and started speaking. "Miss Malfoy, I-"

But he got no further. Narcissa silenced him with a single cold look. The witch beside him gulped.

Somehow, during the media coverage of this blasted dragon case, society had forgotten what side Narcissa and her husband had been on during the war. She wanted what was best for son, that had always been her priority but she had still been on the dark side for most of the war, despite her loathing of the terrorizing within the dark ranks. And she would gladly use some of her knowledge to protect her son by _any_ means necessary. Well, probably short of killing. Possibly.

When the tea was finished to perfection and she had served everyone a cup of lovely lady grey, she looked up at the other people in the room. "It is _mrs._ Malfoy. No matter the status of my husband, I do believe that I am still a married woman." Her tone was sharp as a whip and she knew it.

Mr. Turner flinched as if struck. "Of course mrs. Malfoy. My sincerest apologies."

She nodded once. "What can I do for you today mr. Turner?" She was seriously asking. She had absolutely no intention of drop the lawsuit against the Daily Prophet. It didn't matter at all that Draco and Hermione actually were together. They couldn't prove that it had started before their articles and she had absolutely no intention of informing them of that fact.

Mr. Turner was sitting in the centre of the three of them, he coughed again and the woman beside him fidgeted. "Well,-" he said too fast, the words were almost jumbled. "-we were hoping to persuade you to drop the lawsuit against the Daily Prophet. Our offer is that we recant every story about your son written by Rita Skeeter since the start of the dragon case and that we publish an official apology to your son." He exhaled loudly, as if he had held his breath during his small speech, which was in reality a desperate sort of begging.

She looked at him for a long time before she spoke, something she knew made people uncomfortable. It served as a pause to entice them into thinking she was actually considering their offer. But she was. Not in a million years.

When she finally did speak, it was in her sweetest voice. "What on earth would ever make you think I would agree to such an offer mr. Turner? Not to mention my son? He would throw you out of the house for this. Your paper have blackened his reputation and sown a devastating seed of doubt in those that he is trying to convince that he has changed. How is an _apology_ -" Her tone had turned rather scathing here but she didn't care. "-possibly enough to correct your devastating damage?"

The three of them peered at each other uncertainly but she wasn't finished. "Not only that, Rita Skeeter, a reporter in your employ have insinuated in the clearest of ways that my son would enchant his colleagues at the ministry to ensure his own success." She clicked her tongue to underline the magnitude of this specific problem.

The man started blustering like the former minister Fudge would have but she wasn't to be stopped now. "Your paper have continually slandered my son and his colleagues and we will not take anything but a complete and unreserved apology for all of them. In writing, signed by the editor-in-chief and published on the front cover of your paper. And then _maybe_ we will consider dropping the suit."

Mr. Turner had turned completely red now, she was seriously starting to consider his health. Should such a man be so stressed? He took several deep breaths and even his female colleague seemed to be worried. "Mrs. Malfoy, is there absolutely no wiggle-room in your requests?"

She narrowed her eyes at him infinitesimally, conveying her deep disapproval of his question. "Well mr. Turner,-" She said sweetly. Sickly syrupy sweetly. "-then I trust that your paper is equipped to handle a case such as this, along with any fallout that may occur from said lawsuit." He looked alarmed but she smiled serenely. "Are you quite certain that I will be unable to locate any other persons in the wizarding world that have had their privacy deeply invaded by _your_ employee?" She took a sip of her tea. "More plaintiffs and more depositions could damage your case even further mr. Turner."

He blustered again in confusion, trying to gather his words. "Is... is this a threat mrs. Malfoy?" He asked in what seemed to be genuine alarm.

She smiled again. "No indeed, it is nothing of the kind. I am merely warning you that I will pursue that avenue should it be necessary. You see mr. Turner, I do not have much family left so I will protect my son with everything I have." She felt calm, determined to triumph and it showed in her voice.

He nodded sagely, some of the red colour from his face receded slightly. "Well, as a father myself, I can only sympathize with your wish to protect your son." Mr. Turner stood and so did his colleagues. He was once again professional and poised. "Thank you very much for receiving us mrs. Malfoy. Now time will only show if we have the guts to stand against you. I will convey your proposition and information to the editor-in-chief and I expect we will contact you within a week."

She stood as well and smiled at them. "Thank you all for coming. Our barrister, my son and I look forward to hearing from you."

They left and Narcissa could barely contain her glee. She knew they would cave eventually, they had way too many skeletons in the closet from Rita's trails of destruction and they knew it.

She walked to her study to write to Draco. She wanted to inform him of her visitors from the Daily Prophet and Mottie popped into existence in the room, as she usually did when she sensed that she was needed.

"My lady called?" The little elf squeaked. Narcissa had made rather large efforts to rid the elves of the habit of calling her mistress, but when the elves had insisted they had mutually settled on my lady. At first Narcissa had found it rather distasteful, she was no lady in the muggle sense of nobility but after some time she had gotten used to it.

Narcissa smiled. "You know very well that I didn't call for you Mottie, but thank you for coming anyway." Mottie's eyes almost swam with tears at that compliment. "I need to contact both Draco, our barrister, miss Granger and Lucius. Actually, I think I will write Lucius first. He'll enjoy knowing about this debacle." She smiled. Lucius would definitely enjoy hearing about her more recent endeavours.

Mottie nodded sagely and everything was ready for her on the desk with a snap of Motties fingers. Narcissa smiled indulgently. "Thank you very much Mottie. I will call when I need you to have the letters delivered."

"Yes my lady." Mottie nodded again before she disappeared with a small crack.

* * *

Hermione was standing with Draco and Harry at one area of the corridor outside the holding cells and a distinct feeling of panic started gripping her as the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder started engulfing the entire corridor. They were blind.

_Fuck._

They hadn't calculated with this. They prepared all they could but not for _this_. She hated this. That feeling of helplessness in the darkness. She steeled herself, trying to calm her nerves and point her frustration towards the intruders.

She reached out to grab Draco's hand and he threw up a shield just in time for a brutal spell to bounce off it, the sound of it was deafening in the small corridor. She was certain that Jack was right in front of them.

Draco held the shield while she and Harry fired spell after spell at their adversaries with the same vigour as during the Battle of Hogwarts. The one problem here was that they couldn't see a thing. They had no idea if their aim was true or if they hit friend or foe.

Marietta's voice was another serious problem. Actually, it was downright terrifying.

The sonorous she had cast made her voice seem eerie and other-worldly somehow. It was distinctly unnerving, it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. They couldn't hear where the voice came from so they just shot out random spells into the blackness surrounding them, hoping to any deity that she would be hit.

There was a small gasp from close by them followed by a loud curse and then a thump on the floor. Harry yelled. "She was hit! Come on people, let's get these arseholes!" Everyone cheered and the spell casting increased with renewed vigor.

She didn't know if it would work. She utilized as much mental disciplin as she could to keep the horrifying memories from the Battle of Hogwarts at bay.

Hermione was tense and trying desperately to hit anything or at least to see something. Going by sound alone was petrifying. This blackness was horrid and she tried repeatedly to clear the air but it didn't help at all. She didn't want to hit the aurors at the other end of the corridor but at the same time, they needed to take Marietta and Jack down, all minor injuries could be tended to afterwards.

She took a moment to close her eyes and took one deep breath. Another breath and then a third before she opened her eyes to the darkness. She would have to draw strength from the two men beside her and they had it in spades.

She was strong too. She took yet another breath. She was a fighter. She was a fucking war hero!

With that thought in mind she steeled herself, gritted her teeth and pushed back with everything she had.

* * *

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" She trilled and her voice boomed deafeningly in the small corridor. Even Jack staggered. She sent a couple of reducto's to one end and there was a shout and a scuffle. More hexes flew from her wand and three men slumped to the ground. The darkness powder was doing its job.

That's when they started firing back for real which made her disillusionment charm flicker, she couldn't concentrate enough to keep it up.

She had to dodge their lousy aim in the darkness and she winced when a nasty stinging-jinx caught her ribs, she tripped and cursed loudly. She'd fallen right into a horrid trip jinx and her disillusionment charm broke. She ground her teeth in annoyance.

Someone yelled. "She was hit! Come on people, let's get these arseholes!" There was a cheer and she narrowed her eyes at them. Fucking ministry bees!

The Chosen One, the Interfering One and the Jinxing One were all lined up at one end for the taking. There were no aurors behind them and she only needed to move her a couple of steps back. Just a tiny bit would do the trick.

She moved towards them with purposeful strides while dancing out of reach of several spells, still speaking. "I'm coming to get you! You are mine!" She trilled happily. "As if I give a fuck about my cousin! And Lavender!" She scoffed. "Mindless bint if I ever met one! But she had her uses." No one could tell where her voice came from, it bounced off the walls so quickly that she was hidden right in front of them.

The three people before her muttered something to each other and then grasped hands again so as not lose track of the others. All of them had one arm free, their wand-arm and it was raised, ready to fight.

As one, they started firing off spells, some were of the much more nasty variety than any of their colleagues had sent off and she had to duck quickly. A boil hex caught her wand-arm and she winced again. Another freezing jinx caught her left thigh and a reluctant grunt left her. She narrowly avoided a Petrificus Totalis and conjured ropes with a swift sidestep. She gritted her teeth. Those utter bastards!

Jacks fighting style seemed to consist of nothing more than brute force but somehow all the aurors knew how to counteract every single one of his spells. They knew the order he shot out curses and it wasn't long before he had been hit no less than seven times with all different manners of spells. He narrowly avoided the conjured ropes that flew his way, but only because he could see where the aurors couldn't.

She crouched down along the wall. She spotted her bowtruckles and they had been caught in some sort of magical web in front of two of the cells, unable to unlock the doors and unable to escape. She felt the rage licking up her throat, roaring to be released. Her entire frame was tense as she got up and unthinkingly she started launching her attack, her spells getting evermore vicious and moving seamlessly between the people and spells trying to catch her, letting her rage fuel her attack.

She caught three aurors with conjured ropes, one with the Petrificus Totalis and one with a bombarda. That was surprisingly effective, the shouts and the spell casting jumped into another gear completely. Her spells were flowing quicker, more fluently and more ferociously.

Jack obviously hadn't spotted the predicament that her bowtruckles were in because he moved towards the cell containing his brother. She rolled her eyes and snorted, that was his mistake. She wouldn't be the one to stop him, he just wasn't observant enough for something like this.

Just like Cho, he didn't _see_. The devil was always in the details. Evident in the curtains at home. They really needed an upgrade.

The dark mist started clearing out and that was when the spells started flying in earnest, because now the aurors had an inkling of their surroundings. She removed the sonorous spell on her throat and started weaving and dancing through the spells as quickly as she could, almost reaching her goal.

Jack was pounding on one of the doors, shouting for his brother but the spells on the door caught him easily and it emitted a bright white light that seemed to cut through the remains of the mist.

She crouched down right behind _her_ and she was looking into the corridor with a frown, searching for someone, probably herself. She shrugged, completely unconcerned as her way out was clear. They had tried to trap her, but it wouldn't work. They could _never_ catch her.

Marietta aimed a calculated jinx on her hand enclosed on the sleeve of the blond Interfering One and she jumped and loosened her grip slightly.

It was enough. That was the moment she needed.

She wound her hand swiftly through those insanely annoying dark curls and yanked her back two steps before they even realised what she had done. She was directly below that little hook in the ceiling that indicated the apparition point installed by the dark regime. It was probably mostly meant to be used as an entry point to place the muggleborns directly in lockup, but she knew that it worked the other way too because her mother had created it.

She _knew_.

Just as the final mist cleared, she disapparated away with the Jinxing One, relishing the shocked looks on the Chosen One and the Interfering One.

Marietta and Hermione was gone just as the two spells that would have kept her deep in the bowels of the ministry hit the wall behind the apparition point they hadn't known existed.


	32. Rage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers for this chapter! Mental health warning, some PTSD and torture.   
> Just like the last chapter, this has its light moments as well as some rather dark ones, hence the warnings.

Draco was beside himself, pacing Harry's office relentlessly and waiting impatiently for the auror briefing to fucking end! What the fuck was the problem?! Fucking bureaucracy! They needed to find Hermione, now! The hours were ticking on by and they was just fucking _waiting_.

He turned again, agitated, and almost slammed into Charlie Weasley, who hurried into Harry's office. "What the hell happened? Where's Hermione? What are we doing to get her back?!"

"Ask Potter!" He spat. "He's been in a meeting for goddamn forever!"

Pansy must have followed Charlie because she entered as well, heels clacking and arms crossed. Before she spoke, she pursed her lips in irritation, obviously disapproving of their lack of action. "So,-" She paused with a glare towards first Charlie and then, slightly more ferocious, to himself. "-where the fuck did that maniac drag Hermione to and when are we killing that wacko bitch?"

Draco couldn't help himself, he had to crack a small laugh despite his acute stress. Pansy always had a particularly powerful way of nailing a topic.

Charlie interjected with a frown. "And why are we waiting for Harry? Couldn't we just go get her ourselves?"

Draco sneered. "Because he's the one who placed the trace on her."

"Well, bollocks then." Charlie seemed to share in Pansy's nailing-abilities.

Pansy then, out of goddamn nowhere, punched his shoulder as hard as she could. She might look slight but she was all muscles and sinews. It hurt like a motherfucker. He clutched his shoulder with a look of reproach. "Ow! What the fuck was that for?!"

Pansy scoffed. "Oh, quit your goddamn whining. That's for not getting me and Charlie for the fight. We could have helped you!"

Draco just rolled his eyes, he didn't think the outcome would have changed one single jot if they had been there, none of them had known about that apparition point. "Whatever Pans, shouldn't we just focus on getting her back and locking up Edgecombe?"

Charlie had been looking at them as if he was at a Quidditch match, left, right, left right. He raised his hands. "Look, can we just get on with it. We don't know what Edgecombe will do to Hermione."

Draco's eyes widened and his stress was back in full force. "Potter! We need Potter!" He rushed out of the room, towards the conference room at the end of the hall. They couldn't wait any longer.

* * *

Little did Draco know that a red-faced Harry was facing down the wrath of three ministries, all of whom required answers as to why their well-planned trap hadn't worked and why some of their aurors now was in the hospital.

The once friendly and determined international cooperation was quickly unravelling and Hermione's safety certainly wasn't on the top of their list of priorities, Marietta Edgecombe was. However, Harry knew very well that if they located Marietta, they would find Hermione. And, the smart auror he could be at his brightest moments, he had placed that magical tracker on her.

Unfortunately, none of the irate ministry officials around the large conference table were listening to him because they were all shouting at each other, with the arrogant wanker Cormac McLaggen at the very centre of the argument. He wasn't exactly helping matters.

Harry winced at their shouts and made a quick mental calculation:  
_Pros:_ No one had died in the trap, eight aurors had been taken to St. Mungos and only three had to stay overnight to have their injuries healed from the bombarda Marietta had thrown at them. Jack had been trapped and taken into custody and the bowtruckles were going to a sanctuary near Brighton founded by Newt Scamander years ago.  
_Cons:_ Marietta had escaped and she had taken Hermione with her. That was a bad one but he did have that tracking charm on Hermione. Perhaps the failure of the trap could be turned to an advantage instead.

Personally it was a horrible outcome to their carefully lain trap, but professionally he knew it was a success. How were they ever to have known about that apparition point? He had never heard of it and as head auror, he had the most knowledge of the security in and around the ministry and he had read absolutely nothing of it. He only hoped there weren't more of them. What a nightmare that would be.

Luckily Jack Flame, or Kurt Schröder as was his real name, was now singing like a canary down in the holding cells to Terry Boot, just to get the chance to have a couple of years shaved off his and his brother's presumably substantial sentences. Harry was hoping for some answers from him but seeing as he was trapped along with the bowtruckles too, there was little chance that he knew about it.

When the much too ferocious debate around the conference room seemed to reach a fever pitch, Harry had enough. He pointed his wand at his throat and muttered "Sonorous." He then looked around the room and waited for a pause in the shouts. "Kindly everyone, shut the fuck up." He spoke quietly, but his voice still reverberated around the room and everyone came to a complete halt with insulted looks on their faces.

Except, of course, the git McLaggen. He turned, with arrogant agitation etched on that dumb face of his. "Why the hell are you interrupting Potter?! We are doing diplomacy goddammit!"

He shook his head and muttered the counter-spell. "Quietus." He fixed the wanker with a piercing glare. "Honestly, because your incessant loud babbling is driving me fucking crazy. And its Auror Potter to you."

He had to speak up to counter the loss of his amplifying spell. "Now that I have your attention ladies and gentlemen, I think it may be time to plan how to catch Marietta Edgecombe." There were some nods dotted here and there around the room.

A French female auror spoke up in a thick accent. "Mr. Potter, why was she not apprehended earlier? You knew 'er location, yes?" Her voice wasn't accusatory, it was mostly just curious.

"Because we didn't want to settle with catching either Edgecombe or Jack." A muttering broke out at this. "It was my decision to trap them and I take full responsibility for the outcome of the trap. Despite everything, it was a partial success. However, I would appreciate it if the witches and wizards of IMC vacate this room and continue your discussion elsewhere. The aurors, who are still able, have more work to do. This case is not yet closed."

McLaggen marched stiffly out of the room, furious at his blatant dismissal. All unauthorized personnel left the conference room, except for Gabrielle Delacour who was examining her nails leisurely in one corner. "Miss Delacour, I will ask you to leave as well. Your clearing as our French liaison does not authorise you to take part in the planning."

She narrowed her eyes at him dangerously but her voice was suspiciously sweet. "But 'Aarry, where would I go in zis ministry? I must stay 'ere."

He just smiled sadly. The girl probably needed to learn the concept of humility due to the fact that she had always gotten everything exactly how she wanted it, but he didn't have time for that today. "Miss Delacour, we might be extended family but I will not hesitate to forcefully evict you from this room and I will not ask you again. Please exit."

She almost hissed at him, he reckoned it was her Veela instincts surfacing briefly but she did leave the room, so he considered it a success overall too.

He turned back to the aurors eyeing him, he couldn't tell if it was with admiration or derision but he really didn't care as long as they followed his orders. All of the aurors took seats around the table and the same French auror spoke again. "Auror Potter. Zis 'Ermione Granger, do you know where she is?"

He stood at the end of the table. "I do. I placed a tracking charm on her before the battle. Marietta have taken her to the Edgecombe estate and we have to go there as quickly as possible. Presumably we can expect muggle traps, magic traps, concealment charms and a hell of a lot of tricky spell-work from her. She may be bonkers but she is wickedly clever and we should not make another mistake of underestimating her again." There were nods all around.

He opened his mouth to speak more when a sudden loud pounding at the door distracted him and everyone else. "Potter, you absolute knobhead! Let us the fuck in! You are NOT going on a goddamn rescue mission without us you fucking tosspot!"

Harry had to cough slightly to conceal his urge to burst out laughing at Draco's name-calling. It was so typical of the man to conceal his chivalry behind insults. He stood up, still fighting a smile. "Excuse me everyone."

He moved to the door and opened it with his wand a good five feet from the doorway. This turned out to be a good choice as Draco almost fell through the door with his fists first from all of that banging on it. Harry just stood there with his arms crossed and an amused expression.

Draco straightened instantly and his usual indifferent mask slid right back on his face. Behind him, Pansy and Charlie stepped into the room too. Draco, of course, looked around the room with his signature haughty expression and they all looked back at him with stunned faces. Then his firm expression broke into a smirk and he just shrugged at Harry. "What?"

Harry chuckled and shook his head at the blonde's actions, he must seem like a bit of a nutter to those who didn't know him, which Harry just realized with chagrin that he did. "Everyone, please meet Draco Malfoy, senior researcher from the Department of Magical Law of the British Ministry for Magic. Pansy Parkinson, senior clerk in the Wizengamot Administrative Services and Charlie Weasley, dragonologist at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary and consultant on this case."

The French auror gave Pansy a patronizing snort. "A clerk? She 'as no right being in zis meeting."

Pansy cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. It was her only movement before speaking and she never once raised her voice. "A clerk who has helped solve this case from the very beginning and who has higher clearance to all cases within this ministry than all of you put together. I don't give a shite who any of you are missy, I'm going on this rescue mission." She turned to Harry. "And don't you fucking dare stop me Potter."

Harry raised his hands defensively. "I wouldn't dream of it Parkinson." He turned to the aurors around the table. "Mr. Malfoy and mr. Weasley are an integral part of this investigation." Draco snorted at the wild understatement. "Miss Parkinson has been instrumental in taking this case to where it is now and yes, she will join us as she does have the necessary clearing to be in this meeting."

The French auror huffed but no one contested the decision of the head auror. Harry had to hide his small smile at that. Again.

Harry squared his shoulders, going into full head-auror-mode. "Right. So what we're going to do is…-"

* * *

Hermione awoke with an ever-growing sense of true bone-chilling panic. She was aware of a pounding headache that told her she'd probably been stunned before they even left the ministry.

How in the name of Merlin she'd gotten into her current predicament, she didn't know. She did recall being yanked back suddenly during the battle as the darkness was lifting and then... nothing.

The first thing she heard was an eerily soft song and then a sort of clicking. She was lying face down on a scratched parquet floor. Her hands and feet were tightly bound behind her and she was sure that a part of her hair was matted by something, maybe a thick liquid of some kind. It felt strange.

She tried to turn her neck and the slight movement sent a piercing throb through her skull, she winced and clamped her mouth shut to avoid making any sounds. What she could see of the room made her somewhat satisfied that rescue would be on its way soon but it also made her stomach drop.

She was lying down on another floor. In another old grand room. And another curly haired witch was hell-bent on torturing her.

She felt shivers flashing through her entire frame as her formerly dealt-with PTSD from the war resurfaced with a vengeance. For a moment, she couldn't tell Marietta and Bellatrix apart and she started hyperventilating. She could smell the dust, the mould and the tang of blood. The blood must be coming from herself and she had no idea where her wand was, before she spotted it in Marietta's pocket. She tried to breathe, to calm down and to assess her situation rationally, though that singing was messing with her head.

She looked around the room again and tried to figure out how to escape as soon as possible. She had no idea what Marietta would do to her but she knew it would be bad.

She had no means of escape. None.

A flash of something caught her attention and she started shaking again in earnest. She just couldn't stop it.

A _knife_.

Marietta was singing with a knife in her hand. That was the clicking sound. She tapped it on the floor in quick successions over and again. Hermione couldn't stop shaking and her mind repeated the same thing over and over in rhythm with the taps: Knife – Blood – Scar – Knife – Blood – Scar.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and Hermione hastened to retreat somewhat into her own mind to spare her mental capabilities while her body convulsed violently, leaving her only half aware of her surroundings.

Suddenly she heard movement beside her. "Get up!" A kick landed on her stomach and she heaved and coughed. "You don't get to sleep any longer! Get the fuck up!"

Marietta dragged her forcefully up by her hair so she was in a kneeling position in the middle of the floor and she tried to stop the groan but it was no use. As she was positioned, she was looking down at her knees but Marietta grabbed a fist-full of her hair and pulled down to angle her face up.

Hermione stared directly into Marietta's deranged eyes with her own fearful ones. Most of her hair was covered by her hood and most of her face was in shadow, but those eyes stood out. They had an insane glint to them and she just wanted to get away from this nightmare. Her mind was racing through the possible ways to escape intermingled with all too vivid flashbacks from the torture Bellatrix put her through.

_Bellatrix..._

Her eyes rolled back into her head again and the tremors that she knew would evolve into spasms, began at her shoulders and started ripping down her body.

Marietta was having none of it. "You will not die before _I_ will it!" She slapped her once and then stood back and waited. Then she threw up her hands and started screaming and raving but Hermione, still shaking, only heard about a quarter of it. She got the gist of if though. The hexing one would not die before Marietta herself had done the deed.

The thought made her tremors increase in strength. She was silent in spite of her internal anguish. She had been here before, though it had been a long time, she'd had these spasms before so she knew the ebb and flow and her body was following the familiar pattern.

Her anxiety attacks had been at their worst just after the war ended. These spasms would happen on average about two times a week. Coupling that with her nightmares and troubles sleeping, it wasn't a good time in her life. Connecting with Ron had helped somewhat. They knew each other well and he understood what she was going through but as time passed, they grew apart. They wanted different things from life and their estrangement had meant the return of her horrible nightmares.

The ridicule Ron and Lavender exposed her to after she and Ron broke up, made her decision for her. She decided to take fate in her own hands.

She booked the yoga retreat and decided that she wouldn't return until she mastered control of her body _and_ mind. And it had helped too. She had spent hours meditating, letting her mind wander and let her mind and body process those horrific memories and trying to accept them.

But now they had returned it seemed. That lovely flowery archway and surrounding garden she had created within her own mind as a memorial for those who was perishing. It seemed to wilt behind her closed eyes. All of those beautiful white flowers. A different kind of white flower for every life lost.

It _couldn't_ wilt. That archway meant her recovery, her mental rebirth and her mental strength.

"Stop it! Stop the fucking shaking! I am not done with you yet!" Marietta didn't stop screaming at her as she prowled around her, punching her at different intervals. Hermione vaguely felt a swelling around one eye and a split lip but she didn't think about that.

She focused only on the flowers within her mind, not the world wherein Marietta was screaming at her but only herself. She focused on the love she felt for many of those who had died in the war. On her grief of not knowing her parents anymore and her joy in the knowledge that they were safe and happy in Australia. She focused on her love for her dear friends, those who supported her no matter what.

That was something her former Yoga Guru had taught her. After she had been at the retreat for three weeks, he revealed that he knew she was different, her aura told him all he needed to know about her particular brand of magic. She had vehemently tried to discourage his idea but he had just given her a knowing smile and walked away, leaving her completely nonplussed.

Over the next few months, however, he had taken her under his wing and taught her as much as he could in the limited amount of time. In her final weeks there, he had revealed that he was born a squib to an Indian magical family. He knew who she was as he had inquired about her exploits in Britain and he wished to help her heal her mental wounds.

He had helped her channel all of her anger and frustrations from the war into her meditations. He was the one who had suggested her flowery garden, insisting that a mentally physical place that she could visit would be vastly helpful. He insisted she do this every day for at least ten minutes and it had helped. In short, he helped her find some form of peace.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the tremors started easing up. Hermione had kept the worse of a full-blown panic attack at bay by sheer will power only. Not to say that it wouldn't reappear because her trials at the hands of this lunatic was far from over, judging by her captor's promises.

The flowers seemed to be regaining a bit of their former strength but she lost her concentration when a hard punch landed directly in her solar plexus. She hunched over from the pain, unable to cover her chest to protect it from further harm due to her restrained hands behind her back.

Hermione felt delirious, to the point of complete exhaustion. It must be close to midnight or even later. She could see the stars outside the large broken windows.

Marietta pointed her wand at her and Hermione tried to prepare herself for whatever she would do, but her mental wounds from the war were newly opened she couldn't hold it. Marietta hissed through clenched teeth. "You need to learn not to trick people! You tricked me and I have THIS to show for it!" She yanked down her hood dramatically and Hermione gasped. She looked completely disfigured. One side of her face had scars dotted everywhere, and on the other, the S and N from Hermione's jinx was still somewhat visible. It couldn't be possible. It _wasn't_ possible.

"But… I would never do that to you Marietta!" Her voice was high pitched, she was begging Marietta to believe her. "I made the jinx is so it would wear off completely after six months. How many people did you have perform magic on you face after fifth year? They must have maligned your face completely!" Hermione was trying desperately to talk her way out of this but she knew the probabilities of getting out of there unharmed was uncommonly low. She resigned herself to make a conscious effort to get out alive. It was a horrifying choice to make.

Marietta shook her head in denial and lifted her hand slowly, showing a single finger pointing at her. "Only your fault."

Her voice was so soft that Hermione barely heard her. "Sorry?"

"Your fault!" She screamed, walking in small circles while muttering to herself. Hermione felt completely thrown. This woman wasn't to be reasoned with at all. She needed to get out.

Suddenly, Marietta stopped and stood peering at her, with her head moving to the sides every few seconds and her tongue out, like a child trying to figure something out. Then her eyes narrowed to slits and she moved to stand about two feet away. Due to her position on her knees, Marietta towered over her.

"Ossio Contritum!" From nowhere, Marietta threw the bone-breaking curse at her, making her grunt and grit her teeth against the pain, as her ulna bone in her lower left arm was broken clean in two. She repeated the process on her right arm. She then cracked three of the lower ribs on each side, making it exceedingly difficult for Hermione to breathe through her excruciating torture.

Hermione was panting, desperately wheezing for breath and trying to avoid moving her broken bones too much. "Why are you doing this? I'm so sorry for the pain I've caused you Marietta, but someone else did that to you. I didn't… I would never."

Her expression turned murderous and instantly, Hermione regretted speaking at all, but she needed a respite for at least a couple of moments.

Marietta's voice was icily cold. "Yes you did! You and those _bloody – buzzing – ministry – bees_ -" Every word was punctuated with a hard slap to Hermione's already sore face with the back of her hands. "-have had it in for me and my family ever since that Shacklebolt became minister." She sneered. "We lost _everything_!" Her eyes were swimming with tears and her voice had taken on the characteristics of a lead actress in a dramatic play in the West End. Her wild mood swings were distinctly unnerving.

Her face morphed into complete fury. "And you helped them! Ossa festucam!" Hermione screamed. She couldn't _not_ scream.

The tibia bone in her left lower left leg shattered to pieces within her and pierced her flesh like white hot knives.

She screamed again and again. She pleaded for her life and she couldn't focus, everything started swimming before her eyes. Marietta only seemed to smile and trill happily, her earlier distress was replaced by distinct delight at Hermione's pain.

She tried to focus again as her heart was beating out of her chest. Her adrenalin was kicking in now. She focused again on the flowers in her mind. The devastating losses that had inspired her beautiful archway and garden. Her mental focus shifted to the ones who still lived and supported her in almost everything. The Weasleys, who was effectively her surrogate family and Harry, her brother in everything but blood. And Draco.

 _Draco._ She almost sighed the name mentally.

He had not been a source of strength for long but the knowledge of him on her side was a powerful one. Again, it seemed, Dumbledore was right. Love was powerful indeed.

 _Love_. How strange. It had come so quickly and yet, she didn't question it anymore. It was a part of her already and it had the strength she needed. Marietta was nothing more than a vindictive shell of a person anymore, unravelling at the seams and sinking deeper into madness as time passed.

She wore her love for Draco like an armour when she heard it again, as if from outside her body. "Ossa festucam!" Her right kneecap shattered into what felt like a thousand pieces, and Hermione couldn't stay on her knees any longer. She dropped like a stone to the floor, landing on her right side with a thump and a muffled grunt. Her sobs echoed around the empty room.

Marietta's voice trembled with utter glee and she was jumping up and down clapping. "Ooh Hermione Granger! I cannot wait to begin on your skin! I have this lovely melting charm for that! None of your friends will ever want you again when I'm through with you! And especially not that interfering one, he's a Malfoy, he won't want you if you look like scrambled eggs! Yay!" She laughed, a high-pitched disturbing laughter and Hermione's eyes widened, she was terrified of this woman. Marietta was disabling her bone by bone and apparently, that wasn't enough.

She didn't want to lose Draco. She needed him.

Marietta uttered the bone-breaking curse again and a bone in her wrist, probably the scaphoid under her left thumb and index finger, broke with a snap. Again, and the distal phalanx of her little finger shattered. It felt like being crushed from the inside and Hermione started crying, she just couldn't take this anymore.

"Stop it! Stop with your whining and crying and screaming!" She mocked. "I won't have it! You deserve all of this and much _much_ more!" Marietta grinned like the Cheshire cat as she spoke the last few words, still twirling her wand in one hand and knife in the other. She emphasized her point with a couple of bones shattering deep inside Hermione and she couldn't help it, she screamed again and her body arched from the pain.

Through her tears and pain, she tried to gather her wits. She would need them once Marietta started in earnest, this seemed to be nothing more than a game for her. She closed her eyes and worked to slow down her heartbeat. She was panting due to the broken ribs and she couldn't focus on her anything but her pain. There was blackness creeping around the edges of her vision.

Marietta seemed to be lecturing her now, but it was all a bit of a blur. She couldn't stop the tears anymore. It. Just. Hurt. So. Bad. Her vision was swimming and she was certain that she would faint rather soon.

She winced at herself and her victim mentality. She had to remember that she was a strong woman, much stronger than she probably realised. She could do this. She nodded to herself.

She _had_ to do this.

She needed her wand and she needed to get away. They could catch Marietta some other day. They _would_ catch her and make her pay her dues.

That thought helped her focus through the pain as it ripped through her again and again as her bones splintered within, piercing her flesh and innards. She was sure she was suffering from massive internal bleedings just about everywhere in her body.

She needed to get out. To get away. To deal with this bitch some other time. She pondered the resentment bubbling within her for a moment.

Yes, anger could be the key to the focus she needed.

No. Not anger. _Rage_.

She closed her eyes and gathered all of her rage, her garden and arch, her family, friends and love, before she turned it towards her willpower and focused on one single word. _Accio_. As she did so, she may have seen something from the corner of her eyes, but she couldn't keep her mind on it. She had to get out. Her entire being seemed to come to a pinnacle as she forced her magical core to summon her wand from Marietta's pockets.

Her wand flew into her one good hand and in the same breath of a single second, she turned on the spot, hoping to every deity out there that there weren't any anti-apparition wards at the dilapidated Edgecombe estate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: FYI, I'm a huge fan of saving yourself instead of waiting for others to come to your rescue. I believe that you are usually stronger than you might think.  
> I know most of you expected an even fight between Marietta and Hermione, but my version of Marietta wouldn't be so stupid to not stun Hermione the instant she had the chance and this is what I came up with. I'm not that proficient at writing dark themes yet, so I hope I've done the scene between Hermione and Marietta justice. You be the judge.  
> Ossio Contritum and Ossa Festucam is basically directly translated Latin (by google translate), meaning broken bones and splintering bones. I think they have a rather nice ring to them but I have no clue if it's grammatically correct.
> 
> Also, do your thing in the comments please :-)


	33. Loyalty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for mentions of torture and mentions of agonizing healing.  
> Also, a tad bit of Dark!Draco will make a small cameo in this chapter. I have never insisted that my version of Draco is only light ;-)

_Finally_ they were fucking moving! It only took them goddamn forever and who knew what that crazy bint were doing to Hermione in the meantime. He gritted his teeth to stop his imagination running in all sorts of dark directions.

The team of aurors from Britain, France and Romania, were moving stealthily across the vast lawn outside the Edgecombe house. All of them were concealed by disillusionment charms and had their wands at the ready.

They heard a scream from inside and Pansy yanked him back in the same second as he launched forward. "No!" She hissed annoyed. "Leave your fucking emotions out of this and follow the goddamn plan alright?"

He scowled but nodded all the same.

The screams didn't pause now and the sound pierced his very soul. He just needed her out and safe. That was the deal. All of the aurors would focus on Marietta, Draco, Pansy and Charlie would get Hermione away from that nutcase.

There were no wards on the estate or the house itself. Or so it seemed.

It was effectively abandoned and rather ominous in the depth of night. They'd had access to the magical archives for the house as it was built via a ministry contract so they split into three groups to search the house, starting on the first floor.

And as Harry had promised, this house was filled with all sorts of shite. There were no wards but there was a nasty trick step that one of the aurors from Romania fell into, there was an attack of a conjured dust-dragon to deal with and many jinxes, tricks and horrible traps. Pansy was attacked by a horde of rats when she inspected the entry to the kitchen and she ended up burning them all with a fierce incendio while the flames were dancing in her eyes. Edgecombe certainly did not lack imagination when it came to intruders but then again, neither did Pansy.

It made his blood run cold, when he thought of Hermione being alone with Edgecombe.

Luckily, it didn't take that long to find them. Charlie sent his patronus to the other groups and everyone took their places around the room.

He stood right by the door, peering into the room and his heart froze for a moment. He could see her there, sobbing on the floor and he wanted nothing more than to go to her, to help her, to stop Edgecombe.

Edgecombe said something and waved her wand again, he couldn't see anything happening but it made Hermione scream with all she had and Draco glared daggers at Harry when he spotted him by a door across the large room.

Why the _fuck_ weren't they stopping this?! That sound pierced his very soul and he couldn't stop himself, he yanked the door open and burst forward. None of the women in the middle of the room noticed him but Hermione's face had changed, she had this determined expression on her face.

Harry frantically gave the signal to move in as Draco surged towards Edgecombe with determination but suddenly everything happened so fast.

Something flew from Edgecombe to Hermione and she disapparated in that same second. She was gone. He stopped and stood rooted to the spot in shock staring at the place she disappeared from as the aurors rushed towards the villain. Charlie and Pansy paused by his side, equally perplexed as to what had just happened.

She was gone without a trace.

But where the hell would she go?

* * *

Hermione apparated directly into the Burrow sitting room, where she hoped to the gods that someone was home. She couldn't possibly apparate again.

"Bloody hell!" She heard an exclamation from the couch as she collapsed on the floor and her wand clattered away from her, she just couldn't hold on to anything anymore. It had taken everything from her just to apparate out of that place.

"Blimey 'Mione! What happened to you?" He looked her over frantically. "Shite, I'm no good at healing spells, don't move, alright?"

He ran out of the room but to Hermione it was all a blur at this stage. She had absolutely no intention of moving. Everything hurt. She was going to faint, she could feel it. She could feel _everything_. Her body was such a broken and useless mess and tears sprang to her eyes.

"Hermione!" Molly shrieked as she burst into the room. She rounded on Ron immediately, probably with an irate expression on her face. "What is this?! What on earth happened to her?"

She would guess that Ron was wide-eyed and shrugging at this point. She could just imagine his face. "I don't know what happened to her mum! She apparated directly in here. I've no idea where she came from."

Hermione tried to speak. They needed to let Harry and Draco know that she was away from there. "Harry." She croaked. Her throat and her entire body felt raw and abused. "Get Harry." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

And it all faded to black.

* * *

Draco was watching the battle that had erupted following Hermione's disappearance and Marietta put up a hell of a fight but he could think of nothing but Hermione. He was starting blindly at the spot where she had disapparated, trying to figure out where she could have gone.

His thoughts swirled into a mess of that bright beautiful woman screaming herself hoarse from the two bone-chilling torture sessions she had endured intermingled the creative things he wished to bring down on Edgecombe and all of the things he should have done to his aunt. The darkness inside him, the fury. It rose like a giant and he saw nothing by vengeance.

He pointed his wand at Marietta from across the room. She was cheerfully duelling most of the aurors at once, horribly reminiscent of his late aunt.

No.

She wouldn't get away with this. She would never get away with anything like this ever again.

Harry saw his determination and his eyes widened.

Draco might have been a reformed man. A much better man. But, he was still the son and heir of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and no one harmed his family.

 _Ever_.

He developed tunnel vision, there was black around the edges and he only saw Edgecombe. He walked calmly forwards in a focused rage with once single purpose on his mind. He didn't notice Charlie trying to hold him back or hear Pansy's shout for him to show a mediocre of patience.

No. Nothing could stop him now.

As he moved towards her, he sent off a single forceful and vicious slicing curse and Edgecombe toppled to the ground in an instant, her leg cut clean off at the knee. A quick non-verbal spell summoned her wand and thirty or so black snakes was conjured out of nowhere and then creeped slowly forward to restrain her, binding together by biting on to the tails of the others.

She was terrified. As well she should be.

He walked calmly over to her, standing over her and peering down with nothing but wrath and vengeance on his mind. Everyone in the room was absolutely quiet. Marietta was gagged by the body of one of his snakes but her eyes, they showed nothing but fear and he savoured it.

He raised his wand, ready to begin this presumed prolonged session with the wretch when suddenly, a brightly lit patronus soared into the room, a terrier dog, speaking to Harry with the Weasel's voice. "'Mione is here, she's safe but in bad shape. Mum's taking her to St. Mungo's now. Mum said you should meet her there."

Draco sagged in relief and relished that little moment of joy. She was _alive_. But only just barely.

His thoughts spun right back to dark like a pendulum and he turned to Marietta again, his eyes turning hard as flint. Harry held out his hand to stop the other aurors from intervening, he trusted Draco not to do something epically stupid. Mindful of Harry's trust, he proceeded.

His voice was deadly quiet as he spoke and his narrowed eyes held the promise of his words. "I could easily kill you." He shrugged nonchalantly and she trembled visibly. "I am no ordinary ministry employee and I have been taught something very different than most of my colleagues growing up. I know spells that could ever so slowly flay you alive, that could lick your insides with flames for hours on end, spells that will kill you quickly or slowly, depending on my mood. And there are no counter-spells for any of those. Once begun, the spells don't end until you do."

She was shaking now but honestly, he didn't give a fuck. "And to top it off, I have extensive potion knowledge too, so no one would be able to tie it to me. In fact, I'm not sure there would be much of you left by the time I would be done with you." He smirked. "As it is, you are _extremely_ lucky that Hermione is alive and that there are multiple witnesses that I don't know well in this room." She exhaled a breath she might have been holding. He wanted to chuckle, she shouldn't relax just yet. "If she does not survive her treatment however, it will be another matter entirely. And I will turn my rage towards you, and you alone."

His jaw clenched and unclenched as he spoke. It was hard for him not to destroy her this instant. "Now, I work in the Department of Magical Law and I will do my utmost to make certain that you will never see the light of day again. In fact, I will _relish_ that work. However, know this. If you ever harm anyone, and I do mean _anyone_ I know, I will not hesitate to employ the use of every single one of those curses directly at you."

Edgecombe didn't look crazy or insane now. She looked like a small fearful child with wide eyes and her mouth open in shock.

His lips curled when she didn't answer. "Did you hear what I said?!" His snarling voice boomed in the cavernous room.

She nodded frantically.

He smirked cruelly. "Excellent. Then I believe we are in agreement." He stepped away from Edgecombe and motioned for Harry to take her in.

Pansy almost launched herself forward and Charlie had to hold her back physically as she raved at the pitiful sight that was Marietta Edgecombe. "You fucking bitch! You won't just have to deal with the Malfoy family curses, woman! I will fuck you up if you even so much as _think_ about harming anyone ever again! And I mean _any_ fucking living beings! Got it?!"

Again, Edgecombe nodded frantically.

Harry clapped his hands once, which somehow made Pansy snap out of her fury. "Alright. Then I guess you are under arrest Marietta. And I am certain that I did not hear any threats made against you in any way." Most of the aurors shook their heads as he looked pointedly around at each auror present to confirm his own words. "Just know-" He said it so casually, that you couldn't guess his direction. "-that I second their opinion." He gestured to Draco and Pansy. Most of the room nodded at that too. Edgecombe's eyes widened with terror.

Pansy, having been mollified slightly by Charlie, bent over and examined the lower part of Edgecombe's leg that was still standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. "I don't think you'll need this where you're going." She said cheerfully and smirked over at Marietta just as the stub vanished into thin air.

Marietta was wailing like a little child while they prepared to take her in to the ministry.

* * *

Draco rushed through the halls of St. Mungo's. "Where the hell is she? They said it was this hallway." The frustration was radiating off him as he peered at the different name plaques outside the different rooms.

Pansy was practically running to keep up with him, rather put out. "Excuse me Drake, but could you slow the fuck down? These heels are not made for this kind of tempo."

Draco merely made a rude gesture towards her and rushed on.

A large silvery dragon bounded elegantly around the corner in front of them, gliding through the hall and paused in front of Draco. It spoke in Charlie's voice. "Draco, Hermione is in the emergency ward on the ground floor, she hasn't been moved to her ward yet. We're all in the waiting room."

He groaned and uttered a string of curses so violent that he heard a couple of nurses exclaim "Oh my!" and clutch their chests in horror.

Pansy was already moving back towards the lifts and he hurried back to catch up with her. She obviously noted how fidgety he was as the lift doors closed. She turned to him, gently touching his upper arm. "Draco, please relax. They are fixing her as we speak."

He ran his hands through his already messed up hair. "But I'm not there to help her! I wasn't there when Edgecombe broke her apart for her own amusement."

She smiled, understanding his frustration. "No you weren't, but she got herself out. That's what she does. She is strong and fearless, more so than you or I could ever be. Your girl is Gryffindor through and through. You only need to support her in that. _That's_ your job when it comes to Hermione."

He nodded, stepping in and looking blindly at the doors of the lift. He had to wrap his mind around that.

"Plus we caught that bitch." She sighed wistfully as the doors closed and it started to move. "Oh, how I would have loved that it had been just the two us and her, there wouldn't even be a body for them to find." She smirked and looked like the kneazel who caught the rat, despite the fact that she had just confessed to planning a murder.

Despite his melancholy, his cheek lifted at that. "Damn right." He said it quietly but he knew she'd heard him when she winked at him with that smirk still in place. They shared a moment of quiet understanding that they hadn't had in years. They had always been friends yes, but this was something else. They had been Slytherins together and they protected their friends and family. But this kind of loyalty only came with love.

In fact, they would do just about anything for the ones they loved.

* * *

Harry was pacing the waiting room when they arrived and Molly Weasley was hugging everyone who she thought may be in need a hug. She was bustling around, getting the nurses to fetch them coffee and tea and perhaps something to eat.

"Where is she? What are they doing?" Draco was frantic. Was she okay? Pansy went over to Charlie who was by the counter in the waiting room but he only had one thing on his mind. One person.

Harry was by him just a second later than the short plump form of mrs. Weasley. "Oh you poor thing!" She exclaimed and her arms were flung around him with such force that he was engulfed by the woman before he even had the chance to catch his breath and his arms was hanging limply at his sides.

He considered pushing her away. He considered rejecting her the way he had been taught. He considered treating her the way his father had told him to treat all Weasleys. But he knew that his father had been wrong about many things.

So he didn't.

His arms came around her plump comforting form and he sniffled a bit. Just once though, he was a Malfoy after all. She was such a caring woman, capable of comforting him even though he had never done right by any of them. In fact, he was awed by her generosity and her capacity for forgiveness. It made his dark mood earlier pale in comparison.

When she released him, for the first time in his life, he felt envious towards the Weasley-brood. He loved his parents, his mother most of all but they had never been taught to give affection like this and it felt bloody good.

She put both her hands on his cheeks and looked directly into his eyes, claiming his attention completely. "Harry has told me all about you and Hermione." He tried to interject but she wouldn't let him. "Now don't you try to deny it young man. I have heard from Charlie and Harry that you are a good man,-" She smiled and shrugged. "-well mostly anyway." He gave her a smirk in return. It was true, he was _mostly_ good.

She continued. "And I want you to know what we hold nothing in the past over your head. Well, nothing you wont get a chance to redeem anyway. You just make sure that you treat Hermione right and then we will give you that chance." She patted his cheek affectionately and Harry and Charlie chuckled somewhere behind him, but mrs. Weasley refused to be interrupted and her tone suddenly turned a lot more serious. "You do realize just how much Hermione means to us, don't you dear?"

He knew that he probably ought to know this but he actually had no clue, so instead he made an informed guess based on how Harry and Charlie treated her. Which was like a sister. "I'm guessing you see her as your second daughter, same as Harry and your other children." She nodded fervently and wiped a burgeoning tear from her eyes.

She let go of his face but continued speaking. "I won't make any threats towards you in regards to Hermione, you just treat her the way she deserves to be treated, alright?" He nodded, not able to do anything else under her fierce gaze. "It's just lucky that Hermione works at the ministry. You have to fill out a form when you start work there, you see, where she listed Harry as her closest next of kin, which makes it easier in these kinds of situations." She nodded encouragingly with a hopeful smile.

He frowned. "Situations? What situation?"

She sighed. "They've put Hermione into a magical coma to help her heal better. They've also asked for permission to use muggle medicine tricks, if needed. Harry has agreed to it for her." She smiled fondly at her surrogate son.

He nodded, staring blindly at the wall behind Harry as he listened to her. "And how is she?" His voice was croaky and horse.

Harry finally controlled his blasted snickering and answered this question. "Well, she's doing okay, all things considered. She had massive internal bleedings and a clean removal of the bone fragments will take hours. Then there's the regrowth of her bones, which they estimate will take something like a full day and night."

He looked up suddenly at Harry. He could feel his rage returning in full force. "What bone fragments? What the fuck has that psycho done to her?" His voice was low and dangerous.

Harry came over and stood right in front of him, staring him down with a hard glare, as if to keep him in line with just his eyes. Draco's stomach dropped for the second time that day and he braced himself. "Some old spells to break bones and to splinter bones. The splinters are the worst. They have to be vanished completely and then the bones have to be regrown, the trouble is to get every last splinter in her body. They are giving her blood replenishing potions as often as needed and they've also got her hooked up a muggle drop to ensure that she gets liquids in her body while she recovers. She was already out when Molly got her here, so they induced the magical coma. It relaxes her muscles and sinews and it helps her body heal."

He seethed and hissed out through his teeth. "I should have fucking killed her right then and there."

Harry merely chuckled and shook his head. "No you shouldn't. Because Hermione will be back to her old self soon and she would kill you if you weren't there to care for her." He groaned and Harry just shrugged with and infuriating smirk. "You know I'm right."

Draco huffed but didn't answer. He _was_ right but he wouldn't give Harry the satisfaction of agreeing with him. "So when can I see her?"

Harry shrugged again. He was fucking tired of shrugs, he wanted answers. He _needed_ answers. "We don't know. When they say we can, I guess. All we can do now is wait."

He crossed his arms. "I don't like waiting." He said it sullenly and quietly after he'd looked around the room for a while, but Harry seemed to have heard him.

Harry just chuckled again. "Aww, you want a hug?" His eyes were sparkling with mischief.

"Fuck no Potter." Draco was aghast, he may have started to like the man but that was taking things way too far.

Harry just grinned. "You ought to get used to it, we're a huggable lot and by being with Hermione, we all become your extended family."

Draco feigned a completely horrified look. "Fucking hell." His exclamation may have seemed hard but Harry smiled in return, knowing that there was no malice in it.

And then they sat down to wait.

And they waited.

And _fucking_ waited.

* * *

There was nothing he wouldn't do for his surrogate sister, or any of his family members really, which included all of the Weasleys and Hermione. He didn't have much family left, so they were his.

Harry looked around the waiting room that was predominantly occupied by redheads. Charlie was lounging against the far wall, his mouth open as he snored. Ginny was reading the latest issue of Witch Weekly while hiding her yawns. George was sprawled effortlessly inelegantly in a lumpy-looking armchair, deeply asleep. Bill hadn't been able to come as Fleur and Gabrielle was out on a ladies night as they called it and he had to stay home with Victoire. Percy and Arthur had been there during the night but had gone to work as the morning light had turned into a cold, yet sunny day as the light streamed in through the windows of the nondescript waiting room.

The odd ones out were Draco, Pansy and Blaise, who had joined them at Pansy's insistence. Blaise was defiantly wearing slippers and a bathrobe since, as Blaise had to eloqoently phrased it to Draco, "Piss off, you got me out of bed at a completely indecent hour so I'm not officially up yet.", but he seemed like a decent bloke. The first thing he did when he entered, after his outburst, was fussing over Pansy for at least twenty minutes but it had felt a _lot_ longer. The second thing he did was to hug Draco properly. Harry was sure that Draco had never been hugged this much in his life. Another snicker escaped him at that thought.

Draco seemed agitated, impatient and all-round surly. There was no doubt that in his mind that Draco was head over heels in love with Hermione and he was sort of hoping that the man could realize it for himself. As Harry continued to study him, he realized that he was already considering Draco as a part of his big motley family.

Sometimes even he was shocked by his own open-mindedness but this seemed a bit far-fetched. A movement caught his eye and he spotted Pansy getting a hug from Molly too. Their family was ever expanding it seemed.

They had been waiting for about five hours and earlier he had encouraged both Draco to contact his mother and Pansy to contact Blaise. There were wild rumours circulating Hermione's disappearance from the trap outside the holding cells and the Daily Prophet was sniffing around outside, scouring for any new information.

The fact that the Golden Princess had been tortured by another batty witch seemed to be considered very juicy news.

Harry didn't really care. No one in the waiting room did. Everyone Harry could possibly had wanted to reach out to, was already here and Draco had sent an owl to his mother when he was calm enough to write. She had sent a return owl, telling him she would be there as soon as possible. That was only fifteen minutes ago.

A silvery terrier came soaring into the room and stopped right in front of him. Ron. "Is she okay, have you heard anything?" The dog vanished, leaving most of the people in room eyeing the spot it had been.

Draco looked over at Harry, sneering. "Why the hell does _he_ care?" His voice was gruff from lack of use and he seemed distinctly annoyed.

Molly instantly zoned in on him and came over. "He cares because he has always cared. He just lost his way for a time."

Draco wrinkled his nose and Molly seemed to understand what he wasn't saying. "Ron will be better and do better. Trust me. Or he will answer to me, Arthur and the rest of his family." Draco rolled his eyes and Molly continued. "He has had a lot of time to regret his actions during his house arrest. You may not believe me, but I do see a change in him."

He scoffed lightly and gave her sceptical look. "Of course you do, you're his mother."

"As I am yours Draco. Mothers always sees these things in their children." The regally flat voice of Narcissa Malfoy turned everyone's attention to the doorway where she stood, ramrod straight and as immaculate as ever.

Draco stood up immediately. He guessed that it was probably his innate respect for his mother not allowing him anything but. Narcissa took her time to survey the room but somehow it didn't feel like the haughty inspection that he had experienced before.

She hugged her son affectionately, it seemed odd but he just shrugged. He'd seen things that was a lot more odd than that. "How is Hermione doing dear?"

He wiped his eyes inconspicuously, Harry kind of liked seeing his former rival show emotions like this. "We don't know much, she's alive and they're fighting for her. She's in a magical coma and they have to reset her broken bones and vanish her splintered ones and the regrow them. She's in for a very unpleasant couple of days."

Narcissa brushed Draco's cheeks with her knuckles. "I am guessing you are planning to stay with her?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course mother, where else could I go."

She smiled happily. "I thought so my darling." She turned to Molly. "Mrs. Weasley, I am aware that you and I have never been friendly but I think we just may be able to get along." She said this with a small smirk gracing her crimson lips.

Molly was grinning and threw her arms around mrs. Malfoy too, who stiffened and ended up patting Molly's back awkwardly. "Oh! Such a lovely thing to say! You know,-" She grabbed her hand and dragged mrs. Malfoy over to a seat, who seemed somewhat nonplussed at what just happened to her. "-you and I are distantly related and it would be lovely to mend the broken branch between us. Andromeda talks so highly of you."

That seemed the right thing to say, because not two minutes later they were talking about their mutual acquaintances as if they saw each other for tea every week. Harry's eyes widened and he shuddered to think that Ginny's prediction of those two female forces of nature in cahoots. He was in no doubt that they could run the world, if they wanted to.

Charlie sidled over with Pansy and Draco followed suit. They started discussing the case in muted voices. "This is all good and wonderful and all,-" Pansy said in an annoyed tone. "-but how the fuck was Hermione even taken to begin with? And how the hell did that basket case know how to get out?"

"I've no clue,-" Harry said. "-I've never even heard of an apparition point within the ministry."

Draco was sneering. "I'm going to tear that point apart myself after I've dealt with Edgecombe, this can never happen again."

Charlie looked pondering. "But do you think there might be more apparition points? Could that really be the only one?"

Harry groaned. "For fucks sake, I hope so. I have stationed two aurors at that point day and night until we figure it out. I can't let the ministry be vulnerable like that."

Something of their conversation must have been caught by mrs. Malfoy, because she turned to them. "Excuse me please, may I ask how miss Edgecombe got Hermione?"

They explained as much as they could. They told her about the Instant Darkness Powder and the apparition point by the holding cells and mrs. Malfoy's complacent expression changed to the worse with every word. She looked like she'd just sucked a lemon, much to Harrys amusement. It was a forceful reminder about that time that he'd thought she looked like someone who had a permanent smear of dragon dung under her nose. He had to stifle his snicker.

She clenched and unclenched her jaw as they continued their tale and her eyes were narrowed dangerously when they finished. "So, can I assume that this means that the report have _not_ been distributed at the ministry after Shacklebolt gained the ministers office?"

Harry, Draco, Pansy and Charlie all looked questioningly at each other and Harry answered. "Uhm, what report?"

Narcissa looked disapprovingly at them and answered in an exasperated tone. "The report about the apparition points deep within the ministry of course. Have the apparition points not been removed?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Obviously not mother."

Narcissa stiffened even further. "Do not play smart with me darling." She scolded him with a fond note in her voice. "However,-" She looked to be deep in thought. "-it may be time for a little visit to our dear minister. I think his so-called non-prejudiced government needs to open their eyes."


	34. Wake up

She was floating among the stars it seemed.

Was she dead? She really hoped not.

She looked around at the vast empty space and didn't think so. This didn't seem like something that would happen once you died.

She saw a platform straight ahead, where a man was sitting in the lotus position, meditating and unaware of the beauty surrounding him. As she came closer, she realized that she knew this man. He was short and dark-skinned with closed eyes, and she knew that behind those lids, he had almost shiningly piercing eyes. Capable of almost seeing into the souls of people.

It was her Yoga Guru. The man who had helped her piece herself back together during one of the darkest times of her relatively short life.

He looked just as peaceful as she remembered him, only a little bit older. His hair seemed greyer somehow. But that couldn't be right. She frowned as her logic kicked in while she was still floating towards him through the stars. This was obviously a dream, which made him a figment of her imagination and therefore he ought to look like she remembered him.

The moment her feet landed on the platform, his eyes opened and he looked up as if he'd been expecting her.

He stood up from his convoluted position, in that graceful way that only people who had been practicing yoga for many years could, and walked over to her. "Welcome Hermione, I have been waiting for you."

Her brows knitted. "But how? Why? Are you dead too?"

He shook his head. "Neither of us have perished as it is not yet our time. I have something important to impress on you and this seemed like the best place to talk to you."

She looked around in awe. "Where are we?"

"We are in our minds link, a place specified by the both of us by extended meditations in close physical proximity during your time at my retreat." His explanation seemed clinical but she had so many questions.

He held up his hand to stop the tirade he knew she was about to launch. She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from blurting out all of her questions at once.

He continued. "You and I need to talk about what happened to you recently and we have to work through it. You will always bear the scars from your torture but you cannot let it define you, neither in your mind nor your body. You cannot let it defeat you."

She hung her head. "I know. I just don't know how."

He nodded knowingly. "That is why I am here. You wish to heal and have summoned me unknowingly."

She blinked, how the hell would she have been able to do that? "Summoned you? But-"

He stopped her again. "No more questions, you will not be in this coma long. We have work to do."

* * *

Narcissa strode purposefully into the office of the Minister for Magic on level one. The redheaded undersecretary outside his office spluttered something and tried to stop her, but no. Narcissa would _not_ be stopped in her endeavour. A sticking charm kept him glued to his seat and Narcissa was inside the office before the undersecretary even thought about getting his wand out.

The door swung into the wall on the other side as Narcissa blasted it open with a forceful alohamora and Kingsley Shacklebolt, the minister in these _healing_ and _rebuilding_ times, sat serenely at his desk and looked up in alarm as his office was invaded by an irate reformed dark witch.

Narcissa was fuming! Absolutely _fuming_ with ire. Why haven't they done their jobs?! She straightened up a bit more, getting a hold on her temper. It would not be conductive to her visit if she attacked the minister for magic out of her annoyance. She grit her teeth and walked forward to take a seat opposite the minister.

Minister Shacklebolt adjusted to the situation rather quickly, to her pleasant surprise. He put down his pen in a controlled manner and leaned forward to place his lover arms on his desk. His voice was quite even as he spoke. "Mrs. Malfoy. To what do I owe this pleasure?" He was looking expectant as well, he really should be commended for his reaction for the intrusion but that wasn't her current priority.

Narcissa smiled tightly at the man opposite her. "I will skip the pleasantries this once minister. I am here on important business." The minister nodded and she continued. "I do not know, minister, if you have been informed of Hermione Granger's condition?"

He nodded gravely. "I have. I have had the best healers in St. Mungo's dispatched to her room."

Narcissa sat on one of the chairs facing the minister's desk. "Excellent." She paused, looking around the office. "And now I wonder if it could have been prevented." At the last word, her gaze returned to him.

He looked up puzzled. "I do not think it could have been prevented. No one working at the ministry had any idea that an apparition point was placed there."

She arched one brow and pursed her lips to convey her displeasure with his choice of words. "That is correct. Currently working _at_ the ministry."

He frowned deeply, suspicious of where she was going with this. "What do you mean?" She had to give it to the man, he was not senseless.

She kept her face carefully neutral. "I mean that I, my husband and several others, have known about it for years. I just assumed that you had combed the entire ministry and removed them, as would have been most responsible of your new administration when you took office."

His eyes widened and he gasped, shocked at her revelation before he contained himself again with a slight cough. "Mrs. Malfoy, do you, by any chance, know how miss Edgecombe would have known about it?"

Narcissa wanted to snort in derision but of course she didn't. It just wasn't done.

"I do and so should you and your employees, as this should not have been a secret." Her admonishment hit the mark as she watched him squirm. "Mrs. Edgecombe worked in the Department of Magical Transportation and as such, she was one of the employees tasked with installing that particular apparition point. Your administration obviously haven't bothered reading the report that she filed just two weeks before the war ended and then, following the war, she was immediately sacked. I will not guess as to your reasoning behind her departure from the ministry but the timing was curious, don't you think?"

His eyes widened and he started blustering, not unlike one of his predecessors. "But… But… Mrs. Malfoy, I…"

Narcissa smiled condescendingly. "I understand very well that you have no idea what to say to this. I also understand that you had no idea that there was a report to be read. Well, that particular report was widely spread between the families formerly close to the Dark Lord, because it gave us easy access to the ministry at all times." She smiled ever so slightly before adding. "Without handing our wands in for inspection."

It seemed to dawn on him now. "But… Wait, did you just arrive from such an apparition point?"

She shrugged delicately. "I did. There is one just down the hall from here." The shock on his face was spectacular, Narcissa wished she'd had one of those cameras right then.

"Percy!" The minister's voice boomed deafeningly and the redhead undersecretary appeared promptly in the door. Narcissa was speculating if she had met him before, he seemed startlingly familiar now that she looked more closely.

"Find a report for me, filed two weeks before the Battle of Hogwarts by the Department of Magical Transportation. It's written by a mrs. Edgecombe and, among others, is about several apparition points inside the ministry."

The eyes of the undersecretary widened comically and he nodded once. "Yes sir." He then turned on his heel and almost sprinted down the hall in his eagerness to complete the task.

"Percy Weasley is the best undersecretary I have, he will find that report." Ah, a Weasley. That made sense. It was very likely that she had seen him or even met him before. The minister continued, oblivious to her inner musings. "Are there any other such items that you would bring to my attentions?"

"Not that I know of, but I wouldn't put it past any of _them_ to make their own rules while they were in charge." She pursed her lips. "It may not be my place minister, but perhaps you should not disregard the work that have been done during the dark regime. There may be other reports to uncover and some employees to apologize to. Not all of them enjoyed working under minister Thicknesse but they had no choice."

He nodded thoughtfully. "You have given me a lot to ponder mrs. Malfoy. I will take your advice into consideration. Now, until we remove all of these apparition points, I will request that you refrain from using them. The entrance through the atrium is our preferred entry _and_ exit point."

She nodded, having expected this. "As you wish minister. I have no issues with your request." He smiled and seemed to think that their meeting was over.

But no, they were not done yet.

Narcissa coughed once and stayed in her seat, waiting for him to take the hint. He looked up. "Is there anything else I can assist you with mrs. Malfoy?"

She gave him her sweetest smile and he seemed almost dazzled. "Why yes, now that you ask so kindly minister. I currently have a slight-" She hesitated. "-spot of bother with the Daily Prophet, which I plan to deal with legally if it becomes necessary. I am under no illusion that you would go against them, but can I trust you to not oppose me?"

He coughed again, obviously uncomfortable but she would give him no assurances. If the Daily Prophet didn't want to issue the apology she demanded from then, she was _not_ going to hold back. They needed a proper lesson this time and having the minister refusing to hold his hand over the publication would help immensely.

In short, it would make them look guilty of whatever they might refuse to have done.

She scoffed mentally. Political semantics, it was all such nonsense really but in this case it would be to her distinct advantage.

He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Well, you know I cannot go against the Daily Prophet."

She _almost_ rolled her eyes at him. What an exasperating answer to her question. "May I ask why you are repeating what I just said?" _Semantics_ , she inwardly scoffed haughtily but outwardly she maintained the seemingly polite and interested in his answer.

He held up his hands, trying and failing to make her be patient before he sighed heavily. "But yes, you have my word that I will not oppose you in your endeavour, should it come to that."

She nodded with a small smirk and stood to take her leave. "Excellent. I thank you for your time minister."

He smiled in answer. "I will have one of my undersecretaries escort you out mrs. Malfoy."

She turned back to him with a smile. "Well, I won't use the apparition points, if that's your concern."

He just chuckled as she left his office with her head held high.

He, with a sense that he might just have been steamrolled by an expertly manipulative socialite and her with a clear sense of victory on the horizon.

* * *

Draco spent the next three days watching over Hermione as she healed internally. They had administered inhuman amounts of Skele-Gro, dreamless sleep potions and she was hooked up to two muggle drips. One which administered fluids to her and the other which administered some kind of powerful muggle painkiller-potion, he'd long forgotten the name, it might have been m-something.

She didn't move, didn't blink, groan or anything. She didn't react at all and it was horrifying to him. He was intensely afraid to lose her. He _couldn't_ lose something so infinitely precious to him. Which meant that he was hovering over her, watching and waiting hour after hour, minute after minute.

Sometimes, Harry or Pansy would show and they would spend the time enjoyably discussing the events of the case and how Marietta was doing down in the holding cells. The answer to the last question was easy: Not good.

Jack Flame had told Terry everything about his own involvement and how and why the others in the cells adjacent to him had been involved too. That meant that the trials could go ahead and they would begin the following morning, starting with those low in the hierarchy that Jack had described, and then ending with him and Marietta about a week later.

When they were alone, he spoke to her. He told her about many of the strange experiences he'd had during his time at school and then later at the ministry. He told her about the exploits he'd had with his friends during school and after. He tried to kill time and he knew very well that she probably couldn't hear him but it was comforting to tell her about those things. About his strengths and insecurities.

He looked at the clock above the door ticking away dully.

He felt like he might be going out of his mind but he just couldn't bring himself leave her room.

His mother brought his fresh clothes every day and a scourgify on himself would have to do. There was a sink in the corner where he washed up crudely, but fresh clothes really helped. Her re-telling of her meeting with the minister made him laugh more than once. But mostly it was just him and Hermione alone in there with the healers coming and going at set intervals.

After two full days, they brought her out of the magical coma. Harry and Molly were there too, both wearing those expectantly optimistic expressions but still, she didn't wake. The healer had explained that. Explained the possibility of her body refusing to wake before it was ready but he did tell them that she would be able to hear them now.

So he just spent the time repeating the stories he'd told her before, intermingled with his interactions with her and how he had seen her, both in school, during and after the war and how he saw her now. He told her about when he'd started having feelings for her, how confusing it had been and how much his outlook on life had changed with her in his life.

It was no less than seventy-eight hours and thirteen minutes after he'd arrived at the hospital, that she finally opened her eyes.

But who's fucking counting anyway.

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes blearily only to instantly squint.

There was just too much light in front of her eyes. She felt so heavy and sore. And tired. So very tired.

She frowned at she remembered the strangest dream. Her Yoga Guru had relentlessly taught her acceptance and release of her memories of torture, helping her with her PTSD from both her experiences with Marietta and Bellatrix. He had drilled her repeatedly in her dream, going through her reaction patterns again and again.

The last thing she remembered was being deep in the meditative state when he placed his thumb on her third eye. Softly at first, but then he increased pressure before he said softly. "You are ready, wake up."

She blinked, trying to dispel some of the light. It was coming from the two lamps in the ceiling. She registered a soft snoring from her right and she smiled softly when she saw the sleeping form of Draco curled up uncomfortably in an old armchair.

She placed her hand in his and briefly revelled in the feel of him and promptly went back to sleep.

She was just _so_ tired.

* * *

When she woke up some time later, Draco was clutching her hand with bloodshot desperate eyes and a forlorn expression on his face. He was staring blankly into the room and he hadn't noticed that she'd woken up yet, so she took the time to truly look at him.

He was so handsome to her. Some saw him as much too angular. Others saw the snarky prat he could be but she saw this multi-faceted man that she couldn't do without anymore.

The man who was currently blinking his tears away with relief because he had just noticed that she had woken up. He looked a complete mess and it was no difficult deduction to assume that he hadn't left her side in all the time she had been out.

His tears increased to choked sobs and she started getting teary too, it was just too much. So she pulled at him with her measly strength until he was fully on the hospital bed with her, where they were embraced in each other's arms as they took in the fact that she was alive and together.

It changed nothing and yet it changed everything.

It gave them a deeper connection than ever.

They lay there together in silence for a long time, just enjoying the feel of being close again. A kiss here and there intermingled with smiles, the wiping away of tears and sweet caresses.

She was certain that this was what it felt like to be loved and she rejoiced in it. She tried to soak in this feeling as much as she could.

A while later, the healer knocked on the door and entered. They didn't react apart from a lazy hello and the healer just chuckled and muttered something about honeymooners while Draco slowly extracted himself from the bed.

The healer was waving his wand over her, checking her pulse and other vitals. "So, how do you feel miss Granger?"

She smiled. "Good. Surprisingly good actually. I have some random aches here and there but nothing I'm that concerned about." He nodded as he continued his examination of her.

After what seemed like way too long, he said "Well, your tests are promising, so you can go home today. But we just need you to take it easy a couple of days before you come in for a follow up. Then you _might_ be cleared to return to your work. You've been through a terrible ordeal miss Granger, you need to give your body and mind time to heal. Don't you go rushing back to work full-time."

She smiled softly. She was quite certain that her Yoga Guru had just helped her fix her mind during her coma. She would need to go to him to thank him in person. "Thank you so much to you and your team for all you have done for me."

He nodded at the compliment but smiled all the same. "We're just doing our jobs miss Granger. Don't you go making us into heroes like yourself and your friends here." He gestured to Draco and he frowned so the healer elaborated. "We have all heard about you changing sides when it really counted. I recognize the courage of your difficult choice mr. Malfoy."

She squeezed his hand as he choked out a muffled "Thank you." And as soon as the healer left the room, he was in her arms again.

They really did need each other.

* * *

Harry tried to _not_ react when he entered Hermione's room in St. Mungo's that day, only to find Hermione firmly in the arms of Draco, snogging and completely oblivious to the fact that he was in the room with them.

"Uhm, Hermione?" He tried to call softly at first. Nothing.

Then he coughed and still, nothing.

Only one resort left. "Hey, you bloody lovebirds! Would you two desist with your snogging so I can hug my best friend now that she's not in a semi-mortal coma any longer?!"

They startled apart so he knew they hadn't heard him earlier. Thank Merlin. He didn't much fancy being a voyeur to their very intimate moment.

"Harry!" Hermione's face burst into happy grin and he hurried over to hug her. Draco had barely left the bed when his arms closed around her petite frame.

It took a while for him to let go of her. While they were hugging, the realization of her actually having been rather close to dying from internal bleeding crashed over him and he held her just a bit tighter.

When they broke apart, she smiled. "My two favourite men in my life are both right here. I have to say, I'm so happy you two get along." Draco scoffed and they all smiled. "Albeit grudgingly." She amended.

Harry looked at Draco again with a mischievous grin and threw his arms wide. "Hugsies?"

Draco mimicked gagging. "No thanks Potter."

He was unable to take a piss. This man was too serious for his own good. "Oh, is is Potter now? I thought you'd have learned my actual name by now _Draco_." He emphasised his name for good measure.

Draco merely shrugged. "Nah, don't worry wanker, I know your name is Harold." He paused. "Or maybe Harvey?" They all burst out laughing. So alright, he might have and alright sense of humour every now and then.

Hermione held up her hands. "Okay okay, I'm just happy you get along then. For fucks sake." She muttered the last part and Harry just grinned. She was adapting to some of Draco's expressions.

"By the way Harry, the healers have cleared me to go, so could you help me get back to Draco's? He's not letting me out of his sight and I need some things from my flat too, so could you go get my beaded bag and Crooks, please? My bag is on the top shelf in my closet." She had that dowey-eyed expression that he just couldn't resist, so of course he could.

"Don't you need some things from your flat other than a bag?" Draco seemed rather sceptical but Hermione just looked smug.

"Everything I need is in my beaded bag." And she winked at him.

He shook his head indulgently. "Of course it is." His level of sarcasm really was unparalleled from anything Harry had known before. "Another undetectable extension charm then?"

She just smirked at him, completely unfazed. "You bet'cha. Are you going to turn me into Kingsley then?" She held her hands out together to him, as if expecting him to bring her in for questioning.

Harry was getting the distinct feeling that he was watching their crazy form of foreplay, and he had no interest in that either. He cleared his throat. "Well, I'm going to get your bag and Crooks now, are you sure that's all you need from your flat?"

She turned around, somewhat dazed and just nodded with the most in-love smile he had ever seen on her. Those two could make even a bland hospital room into a love-nest.

He sighed, nodded and left them to it.

* * *

"Draco, you are driving me goddamn bonkers!" She yelled at him, when he entered the lounge with her ravioli already cut up in smaller pieces and a straw in her water. "I am not a child and I flatly refuse to be treated like one any longer!"

It had been two days of incessant pampering and overprotective nursing and she'd had enough! The healer had agreed to make a house call the following day but she was going out of her mind.

He smiled but it seemed somewhat strained. "I just want to take care of you, I was given strict instructions by the healer."

She huffed angrily. "I don't give a shite what the healer says, I am fucking fine!"

He just shook his head. "When the healer says so, you can do whatever you want, until then you are under healers orders."

"We're seeing him tomorrow, Draco." She seethed. How the hell could she get into his head that she was healed now?

"Yes and until then we're going to do just like the healer said." As much as she loved him, he was truly pissing her off. But then again, perhaps she just needed to try another strategy.

She smirked. "Why don't you let me prove to you that I am all better?"

His eyes widened, he knew her so well. "No. Oh no. You are under special medical restrictions and I have to help you get better."

Her voice was husky now. "You know, I am much stronger than I look."

He placed the food and water on the table and sat down tiredly on the sofa next to her. She snuggled into him. "This. I just need you Draco. Everything else isn't really necessary." In this instant, she specifically meant him cutting up her raviolis. Really? What sinister things could _possibly_ happen to her with a goddamned ravioli?

She knew that he could get overbearing and overprotective but this was too much. She just wanted to feel normal again. Her body felt back to normal, she was a bit sore here and there but she had a feeling that the aches, that could just be phantom pains, would linger for a couple of weeks.

But she needed him. She needed the closeness they shared, she needed his full body heat and the only way to get that, was to get him naked. She pursed her lips, thinking about how to accomplish her goal.

He sighed deeply, his head lolled down to the back of the sofa and his eyes closed. Instinctively, she knew she didn't have much time to catch him off guard, so she swung herself across his body quickly so she was straddling him. Immediately she felt the passion between them flare to life as she started her seduction of him.

His head bounced back up and his eyes were wild when they met hers. She could just imagine his inner conflict because she could feel his delicious cock hardening under her simple ministrations yet he didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize her health.

She started grinding herself on him and moaning. His hands went to her thighs and she could see the struggle within him, so she leaned closer to his ear. "Trust me Draco." She purred and nibbled on his earlobe.

She leaned back and removed all of the clothes on her upper body as she kept up her grinding on his ever hardening cock. His sharp intake of breath was like a balm to her soul. She _needed_ him.

"Please Hermione…"

He didn't say anything else so she gave him her most coquettish look. "Please what Draco?" She grabbed her wand on the coffee table behind her and instantly removed her pyjama bottoms and underwear. "What do you want me to do Draco?" Her voice was breathy and needy as she ground a slow rhythm on his lap.

He growled, actually growled in a seemingly lust filled haze, so she continued her assault on his senses, grinding into him and moaning loudly as she removed his clothing painfully slowly with her wand.

"We shouldn't… Your healer." His words were stilted and unconvincing so she just continued to disrobe his as if he'd never spoken.

His magnificent cock was hard and pulsing with need for her, so she decided to skip the preliminaries and mount her man. She took him in her hand and rose a little to line them up. He groaned from the slight pressure when he felt her slick heat beckoning him to her.

She stopped then, teasing the head of his cock with her soaking cunt and making Draco writhe for her. "Do you really want me to stop Draco?" She had to know, she didn't want to actually force herself on him but it was hard to pause, she really didn't want to stop.

He surged forward and grabbed her arse with both hands, capturing her lips in the same movement. Their kiss was heated and frantic. He pushed her down onto him in the same moment he growled low and dangerous. "I fucking need you."

A breathy gasp was the only sound that escaped her when he impaled her to the hilt. By all the Gods, she had missed this! She felt so full and so complete. She took his face between both of her hands and kissed him softly, while refusing to move.

She had to tell him but she was completely out of breath, so it probably came out a lot more breathy than she had planned. "I'm in love with you Draco Malfoy. You know that, right?"

He groaned and kissed her hard while mumbling. "I love you too Hermione. Now bounce that glorious pussy up and down my cock or I will _make_ you fucking move."

She whined as she started moving, kissing him and touching everywhere she could reach. He grabbed the base of her thighs and helped her move at an inhumanly fast pace, they were both desperate for each other.

She completely forgot that she had sort of tricked him into this and just enjoyed the sensations coursing within her.

Within minutes, he had her trembling like a leaf as she was seeking that inexplicable high. Her clit was exposed to constant friction from his pelvic bone and his hands wandered all over her. Pinching, caressing, teasing, clutching and it drove her plummeting towards the very edge of the precipice.

"Yes Draco, right there! Just like that!" She was yelling all sorts of nonsense but she couldn't concentrate. She could feel it taking her over like the tide, starting at the very tips of her fingers and then tumbling inwards in numbing waves of blinding pleasure.

She stilled completely, unable to even breathe.

Draco kept going beneath her, groaning his orgasm into her neck and biting down hard. She felt like she knew that in the very back of her mind but right that second, she could only focus on her mind-blowing orgasm surging through her every limb, healing every ache in its wake.

This was what she needed.

They collapsed together in a heap on the sofa, kissing, caressing, grinning and still connected at their very cores.

* * *

They spent the day together in a much more natural way than the past couple of days. He conceded that he might have been a tad bit overprotective of her but really, what did she expect of him?

He'd been absolutely terrified and she was _finally_ safe now, his to protect.

He was making their coffee while recalling Pansy's words that horrible night at St. Mungo's. _Your girl is Gryffindor through and through. You only need to support her in that._ That's _your job when it comes to Hermione._ He considered it again from a new angle.

Hermione, _his girl_ , had just outsmarted him and fucked him in the same day and she was still recovering from fucking torture.

He realized that Pansy was both right and wrong. Hermione was strong, fearless, brilliant _and_ deviously underhanded. In fact, he was absolutely certain that she would have been a leader in Slytherin if she had been sorted there during school, despite her blood status.

He grimaced. So, okay. She could _probably_ handle herself very well. So what did she need him for? Love. Support. Sex. Kids. Life. Case-solving. The occasional planning of a murder. Or revenge. He wasn't bothered really. It was the first thoughts that popped into his head and his very soul recognized the impeccable rightness of it.

He loved her.

And he would do absolutely fucking _everything_ for her.

* * *

He had repeatedly tried to talk her out of it.

He, personally, did not think it was a good idea for her to go see Edgecombe on the same day that the healers had just cleared her body from the trauma of torture inflicted by the very person in question.

But she insisted. Fervently. And it was fucking impossible for him to resist her. When she was this dedicated to something she was an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

And that was why he now found himself walking down the hall outside the holding cells, with Harry repeating the same things to Hermione, that he himself had tried to use to prevail on her.

She was hugging Harry now with that determined expression of hers. "Harry, I get what you're saying, I really do but I _have_ to do this."

"Why Hermione?" Harry was looking quite desperate, Draco was sure he still had that brother-instinct to watch over her and protect her. "You don't have to see her, the case is closed and she will go before the Wizengamot tomorrow." Harry seemed desperate, mirroring Draco's feelings about this irrational idea of hers.

"I know, but I need to know why. Why did she hate me in particular? Why not all of the other quacks she has visited?"

"Won't you be affected by her? Could your PTSD act up again?"

She shook her head vermently. "No, I dont think so Harry. I believe I've got it under control thanks to an old friend." Her answer was strangely cryptic, but they didn't have time to get into that now.

Harry sighed in defeat and nodded. "Fine, but both me and Draco are coming with you."

She rolled her eyes but nodded. Draco knew she both hated and loved their over-protectiveness.

Harry placed his hand on the doorknob and turned back to her with that bloody earnest expression of his. "Are you really sure?"

She huffed in irritation and crossed her arms with a narrowed eyed expression on her face. "Just open the damn door Harry."

He chuckled as he turned the knob and Draco just rolled his eyes.

Bloody Gryffindors.


	35. The consequences of conversing

Molly was bustling about the kitchen in the Burrow, trying to put together a large dinner for that evening. She was humming to herself as she was watching the roast carefully. This was a critical point in the cooking of the roast so of course it needed her full attention.

But, this being the primary Weasley place of residence, even a moment of complete concentration was too much to ask. She heard the whoosh of the floo and voices, two of her sons, one darling daughter and one unknown.

 _Unknown_? She frowned.

She abandoned the roast without even so much as a thought and rushed towards the floo, needing to know what was going on. On the way, she glanced at her clock, noticing with relief that no one was in mortal danger. Thank Merlin!

There, standing as casually as anyone, was none other than one of the Greengrass daughters, casually claiming Charlie as hers by the arm slung around his waist and he was looking happier than ever.

She quickly wiped her hands on her apron, threw her arms wide and put a smile on her face. "Well, come in, come in! My, who is this lovely lady Charlie?"

The girl blushed prettily and Charlie made the introduction, smiling from ear to ear. "Mum, this is Daphne Grengrass, my uhm,-" He paused and looked to her for confirmation. She winked and nodded. "-my girlfriend." His smile was infectious and she had missed seeing this carefree side of him. She greeted the young woman with open arms and questions about whether she had eaten or not.

Actually, now she looked, it was more than that, Charlie was truly happy at last. How wonderful! Now if only she could get the same kind of happiness for all of her children, Ron in particular, it would be just the most perfect thing.

Throughout that afternoon, Molly was somewhat distracted. Ron was acting more like himself these days and Ginny was treating him better every time she visited, it really was the best possible outcome she could have wished for.

Ron so needed to be happier, he was not the child she remembered from his youth. Lately he had been bitter, sulky and righteous in his own belief that he should be respected by his family for nothing but the reason that he was family.

The time he had spent at the Burrow in house arrest however, had been illuminating. It would seem that being a part of the famed Golden Trio was actually not a good thing for him. Who knew?

She had been _so_ proud of him. Her youngest son, a hero in his own right, had fallen prey to his own ego. How that had ever happened, she would probably never know but she had spent most of their time together trying to beat that ego right out of him again.

For once, they had actually been talking. She actually didn't recall ever speaking so much to Ronald in his life, but there you go. Maybe all he had really needed was some closer parental guidance. They talked about life, what you have, what you could wish for and work for as they were working on de-gnoming the garden.

Well, she hoped that was it anyway because he did seem better by the day. Less sulky and more engaged. Hopefully he would grace her with some lovely grandchildren.

She could always do with more grandchildren because more of them only meant much more love in her family. Well, and more people around her as she grew older, which was everything she could every wish for.

And to think, Narcissa was such a charming woman! Who could have known?! Of course, it was bound to be, they _were_ distantly related after all.

And that Draco. He was some man, staying by Hermione through all of that horror. She deserved nothing less than that. She was looking forward to seeing them both, they had agreed to come to dinner that evening and bring Harry too.

She smiled to herself. Her family was growing indeed.

* * *

Harry opened the door with more flair for drama than she'd ever really seen from him. Was Draco actually rubbing off on him? He entered first and Draco followed. They preceded her like a couple of bodyguards. She scoffed inwardly, what a ridiculous notion.

As she rounded the doorway however, her merriment vanished like a puff of smoke.

Marietta was huddled in the corner wearing rags of clothing, covered in filth, hair standing on end and muttering to herself incessantly. She was scratching at the floor with what looked to be a muggle toothbrush.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the sight of her pitiful form. Was it real? Had Marietta truly succumbed to the lack in her mental faculty? Or was it all an act? Yet another game of hers that had just been started by them walking into the room.

She decided to stay somewhat neutral to it all, despite the frisson of fear for Marietta sliding down her spine. So she channelled Narcissa Malfoy of all people. She straightened her back even further and tried to put on Narcissa's trademark haughty expression as she faced off with her most recent torturer.

Marietta uncurled herself from the corner and a cackle, deep in her throat, started unfolding until it was permeating the room. She, Harry and Draco just watched with matching bored expressions, waiting for her to finish.

When she finally stopped laughing and skipped to the chair in the room to sit, she peered at the three of them questioningly. "Why are you here? You got what you wanted. My wand, my magic and my fucking leg." She gave Draco a hateful glare.

She could see Draco's waggling eyebrows and vengeful smirk a mile away. He obviously regretted nothing.

What was left of Marietta's leg was bound in white gauze and some tape here and there. Hermione wanted to feel sorry for her, she _wanted_ to feel that compassion that the world thought she had in spades, but she just couldn't muster it after the ordeal that woman had put her through.

Hermione sent silent gratitude to her Yoga Guru. She had no idea if what she had experienced during her coma was actually real, but there was no doubt in her mind that it had helped her mental state immeasurably. She was able to compartmentalize and keep all of her mental faculties in the face of Marietta instead of breaking down and start to lose her mind slowly.

Still channelling Narcissa's bland indifference, she watched from the opposite side of the room as Harry and Draco started prowling around the sneering Marietta.

However, no one seemed willing to get to the point first so Hermione decided it would have to be her.

"So, I've seen your file Marietta. You have gone to see no less than seventeen quacks to help you fix your face after the initial treatment that madam Pomfrey gave you at Hogwarts. Why didn't you just come to me in the first place?"

Marietta's lip curled in disgust and her voice absolutely dripped with hatred. "I would never come to _you_ for anything."

Hermione sat down, trying to reason with her. She _had_ promised Herbert she would try to help her, so she had to try at least once. "That doesn't change the fact that there was a counter-jinx and I knew it. I could have fixed you up in a heartbeat, but this,-" she gestured to Marietta's marred face. "-those quacks all made your situation so much worse."

This time, Marietta didn't reply, but she gave her a hard glare in answer instead and ground her teeth in anger.

Hermione decided to try a different tact. "You cousin, who seems to be very fond of you, have persuaded me to get you some mental help. It will be added as part of your sentence and it is non-negotiable."

She sniffed disdainfully with her nose in the air, refusing to give any sort of response. Harry was looking uncomfortable behind Marietta and she was sure that Draco was keeping a watchful eye on every single one of Marietta's movements.

Hermione's voice turned harder. "Marietta, you need help. Something serious has happened and you need therapy. Your cousin wanted nothing for himself, except help for you. You ought to be grateful."

Marietta lashed out suddenly, yelling at the top of her lungs. "As if I would ever be grateful to such a ratty little snitch! You fucking self-righteous bitch! Sitting there acting like you're better than everyone! I would have fucking melted your snooty arse if I could do it all over again!"

Hermione just shrugged unconcerned. "Well, that may be, but you didn't get the chance and trust me, you'll never get that chance again."

The madwoman was now muttering to herself, moving her head erratically as her lips barely made any sounds.

Hermione decided to press on. "Your actions have directly caused the deaths of eleven people."

Now it was Marietta's turn to shrug. "They deserved it." Her voice was slack, completely devoid of emotion. "I don't control what the dragons do. They were probably just seeing all of those little buzzing bees that needed to be swatted." She smacked her hand down on the table. For some reason, she found it hilarious and burst into that eerie cackling laughter again.

Hermione watched her coolly while she laughed on, waiting for her to finish before starting again. "What you don't seem to grasp, is that this treatment will be mandatory on top of what will presumably be your life imprisonment in Azkaban."

Marietta seemed to actually growl low in throat, the whites in her eyes seemed to diminish with every word Hermione spoke and, without warning, she lunged across the table.

Hermione saw the flash of an oddly shaped white thing in her hand and leaped out of the way as quickly as her reflexes would allow but somehow, Marietta was faster.

Afterwards, she reasoned that her slow reaction was due the tension in her body from facing Marietta, but in that instant, all she noticed was a sharp pain just by the left side of her rib cage. Close to her heart.

Both Draco and Harry sprang into action and oddly enough, Harry forgot all about his wand and tried to physically wrestle Marietta to the ground. Draco however, kept his cool. He sent off a quick stunner, keeping Marietta from causing any further harm.

When Harry got up, they saw that Marietta had pulled the wool over all of them. _Again._

The jagged edge of a sharpened blue toothbrush was in her throat and the other white one was in her outstretched hand. Her eyes were glassy and her soul gone.

The stunner had no effect as it had reached a dead woman and they all stared at the limp body in shock. It would seem that she never actually had a plan to survive their visit.

Draco looked around the room with wild eyes. "What the fuck just happened?!"

* * *

Marietta's limp body had been carefully placed on a stretcher and the surveillance charm in the holding cell was compared to their detailed explanations and memories of the events leading up to Marietta's death before they were free to leave.

Hermione, with Draco and Harry tailing her closely, had gone to St. Mungo's to get stitched up _again._ Their hovering was intensely annoying but she put up with it because she knew they only acted like that out of their love for her.

It was as she suspected. Only a small flesh wound on the left side of her ribs, nothing compared to what she was in the hospital for less than a week ago. And this time it took them literally a moment to fix her back up and send her on her way.

Draco didn't see it that way though. _At all_. But seeing as they were expected at the Burrow any minute, they didn't have time to argue about it.

When they arrived at the Burrow, she was expecting it to be as usual, crowded and noisy but today it was exceptionally crammed. There were people everywhere, spilling into the garden where the warming charms was helping against the fierce autumn winds.

Somehow, someone, she highly suspected Harry, had invited Blaise and Pansy too, along with Narcissa, Andromeda and Teddy. Most of the Weasleys with their loved ones were there too and it was completely overwhelming to see so many in such a tight space.

Molly was busy getting everything out of her pantry and making dinner with Audrey and Angelina helping, Ron and Harry were setting the expanded table and Bill, Charlie, George and Ginny were expanding the warming charms outside, trying to make sure that the garden was hospitable for anyone who ventured outside. Teddy and Victoire, who was somewhat unstable, were running around the legs of everyone, making the chaos complete and inescapable.

* * *

Daphne was completely astounded by the sheer amount of people around her. Everyone nudged her repeatedly as they passed by, going to and from the kitchen. She searched for Charlie but he was outside helping with the charms and Hermione was talking to Narcissa with a pensive expression. She couldn't see Pansy or Blaise anywere.

Pansy came over and nudged her with a blinding grin on her face. "See? I told you! Third time's the charm!"

"Third?!" She snorted. "More like the seventh! I actually went on a lot of your blind dates Pans. Each time more reluctant than the rest because of the continuing disasters."

Pansy merely waved her accusation away. "Pooh! There were no disasters. They were all perfect gentlemen!"

Daphne choked on her drink. "Please don't tell me you actually believe the shite you're trying to sell!"

The eye-roll Pansy gave her was all the answer she needed. Pansy believed in her own shite, which had always made her argumentation seem more real.

Daphne huffed but Pansy took it completely in stride, not missing a beat. "Oh lighten up Daph, it worked, didn't it?" She winked and went over to help with setting the table.

Daphne just stared after her with her mouth agape.

* * *

Blaise spotted Pansy talking to Potter and Weasley as they were cramming the plates and cutlery on the table. Pansy looked somewhat underwhelmed with a story that Golden One and Two clearly found hilarious, so he decided to check out the fun.

"And then, everything was just quiet for a moment right? And then the troll just toppled, just like that! And the worst part?! Harry's wand was still stuck up its nose!" Potter and Weasley doubled over laughing and Pansy even cracked a little smile.

Pansy abruptly gave Weasley and askance look, their easy conversation morphing into a tense silence as Pansy's face suddenly pinched together as if she was eating stink sap. Blaise chuckled at her strained expression. "What's wrong love?"

She frowned, looking between her fiancée and Weasley uncertainly. She winced a bit as she spoke. "I actually don't hate Weasley anymore. What the hell is happening to me?"

Harry and Blaise barked their laughs into the room, drawing everyone's attention. However, seeing the irate expression of his temperamental fiancée, Blaise schooled his grin moderately. "Well honey, that's the consequences of conversing with strangers. You actually just might end up liking them."

The blatant shock on her face made everyone around her laugh.

* * *

Draco trying to stay somewhat aloof from the craziness around him but it was completely impossible. Teddy was assaulting him over and over, bringing along a little ethereal girl, Victoire, who was simply adorable, to play with him and honestly, the aloofness went right out the window.

Those two children were literally hanging on him from the very moment they spotted him, making him their favourite plaything in the entirety of the Burrow and he couldn't find it in his heart to refuse them anything.

He didn't even have time to contemplate just how lovely and homey the place was. It was honestly just like mrs. Weasley, but as a physical place. Cosy, comforting and welcoming. He didn't notice that it wasn't that big or that the house must have been built with magic, seeing as no physical materials should be able to hold up the upper floors.

Instead, he was running around the vast lawn outside being chased by two giggling children and having the time of his life.

After what felt like a moment, mrs. Weasley and Fleur called both Teddy and Victoire in for something to drink and eat. Draco was shocked to find that he had been playing with them for almost an hour. Huh.

"So Draco, are you going back to Hermione's yoga class?" He tensed immediately. Pansy and Daphne had accosted him when he was least expecting it, the blasted b…witches.

He cursed under his breath at those two. "Uhm, no, not really. I don't mind telling you that I am not a yoga kind of guy. But I _am_ planning on reaping the benefits of her fit yoga body." He smirked wickedly.

They both rolled their eyes at his playful antics.

Pansy pursed her lips in disapproval. "Sometimes I don't think you'll ever really grow up Drake."

He just smirked and went to find his witch in the utter mayhem that was the Weasleys and their extended family, that he now seemed to be a part of.

Life had definitely thrown him some curveballs in the past couple of months and he wouldn't be without any of it.

* * *

Blaise was talking to Bill and Fleur, listening to their stories of nappies, bedtime-troubles and the absolute joy of being parents to a toddler. Somehow, Blaise found himself imagining him and Pansy with a little one. He wanted that.

A woman sidled up to them, trying to stay hidden from the rest of the people in the miniscule house. Blaise didn't think she was successful. Fleur made the introductions. "Blaise, zis ees my younger sister, Gabrielle."

He took her hand, "Enchanté mademoiselle."

She giggled prettily and turned some of her charm on him.

He smirked but shoot his head. "Not going to work darling, my vicious girl over there,-" He pointed to Pansy who was currently having an animated conversation with both Molly, as she insisted they all called her, and Narcissa. "-would have my balls for breakfast if I so much as even contemplated someone other than her."

Gabrielle shrugged delicately with a forlorn expression. "It ees always so. Ze men are not free to play."

Blaise, being the brilliant strategist that he was, considered if Theo could be for Gabrielle. "You know,-" He paused, making up his mind. "-I know a guy who might be something for you."

She perked up instantly.

He shrugged, trying not to get her hopes up. "You just may like him and if you don't, then don't sweat it. He's quite the acquired taste for most women."

She cocked her head at him and raised a single eyebrow. "I am not afraid of anyzing. Oo is zis Theo?"

* * *

Harry was laughing with Ron after he had continued telling stories about their misadventures during school when Percy entered the floo and marched directly over to Harry.

His demeanour was stiff and professional but that was the norm for Percy so nothing gave Harry any alarm. "Excuse me Harry, do you have a moment?"

Harry gave him a genial smile. "Percy! Of course, what can I do for you?"

Percy puffed out his chest. "We have some serious security breaches at the ministry stemming from the reign of minister Thicknesse and at the behest of the minister, I have located a somewhat disturbing report detailing quite a number of ways to enter and exit the ministry without notice."

Harry almost took a breath of his own. That sentence seemed to go on _forever_.

But Percy continued undaunted. "As such, the minister requires a complete sweep of the entire ministry by not only the Department of Magical Transportation, but aurors too, to which I can only agree heartily."

Harry good mood was still very much in place, he was already two steps ahead of both Kingsley and Percy. "Don't worry about it Perce, I've already put Terry on it."

Percy started blustering and his eyes went wide. "But… but have you seen the report before now?"

"Oh no, but my source, the same as yours, is standing right outside chatting to Hermione."

Percy peered through the window and spotted mrs. Malfoy. "Oh." He looked around and for the first time noticed that there were more people at the Burrow than just his closest family and their spouses. "Oh! Well then, thank you Harry. I believe I should find Audrey now."

Harry just chuckled as Percy stiffly made his way through the much too crowded Weasley residence.

* * *

Hermione had been standing just outside the Burrow, watching Draco playing with Teddy and Victoire and she was completely mesmerized by the sight. It seemed to come so naturally to him, you would never have known that could seem so cold and indifferent at times.

"It just melts your heart, doesn't it?"

She was startled by Narcissa appearing next to her, wearing an adoring smile on her face and Hermione just nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from Draco running around and tumbling with the two children.

They stood there together for an immeasurable length of time. Hermione was shocked to realise that Narcissa was crying, gracefully of course, as only Narcissa could. "Narcissa, are you alright."

"What? Oh yes, I'm perfectly fine Hermione dear. I just can't help but think how our lives have changed from utter despair and now to _this_." She gestured towards Draco, now on his back down on the grass with two toddlers attacking him, their bright giggles a testament to how much fun they were having.

Hermione felt herself get a bit teary, so she decided they probably needed to talk about something else. "Uhm, Narcissa, how is your dispute with the Daily Prophet going? Is there any progress?"

Narcissa coughed delicately and discreetly wiped her eyes. "Oh yes. Its going rather splendidly to tell you the truth. We struck a deal just the other day."

"Already?" That was quick, Hermione had expected it to go on for some time, believing neither side would back down.

"Well, as it always is with the Daily Prophet, there is a catch." Hermione frowned. What now? Narcissa merely smiled and continued. "However, I believe that we can spin it to our distinct advantage."

Hermione's mind was racing. "What's the catch?"

Narcissa smirked slightly. "Oh nothing big. You, Harry and Draco just have to give a small interview about the conclusion of your case to their newest columnist. She's learning the ropes and all."

"And who is their newest columnist?" She was highly suspicious now.

A satisfied smile graced Narcissa's lips. "It would seem that Millicent Bulstrode have recently acquired a position at the Daily Prophet at my recommendation. They did have a vacant position after all and she has always wanted to write professionally. She has been helping me with some of the publications regarding my charities and I just couldn't help myself when I made that suggestion." Narcissa's expression was manipulatively victorious and Hermione resisted actually bowing down in front of this woman.

She was truly _amazed_ by the machinations Narcissa was capable of. She really was a formidable force, who had just succeeding in underhandedly pocketing the Daily Prophet as long as Millicent Bulstrode was employed there.

She couldn't even fathom the power that Narcissa had just amassed without even breaking a sweat. Her earlier reasoning for not crossing this woman just resurfaced with a vengeance and it was cemented deep within in her brain.

Never _ever_ truly anger Narcissa Malfoy.

* * *

Molly had been shrieking at everyone in and around the house that dinner was ready and the meal was utterly sumptuous and delicious. The table was magically enlarged and to fit everyone and there were a number of conversations criss-crossing the table, making the noise deafeningly loud.

George was sitting beside Draco with Angelina on George's other side. He had Hermione on his opposite side and just her close proximity made him feel at ease. "So Draco, now that the case is almost done, what now? And what will happen to all of Marietta's minions?"

Draco shrugged. "I've no clue. Now we just handed over the majority of them to Azkaban and a couple to the muggle authorities, after obliviation of course. Jack has gotten the longest sentence yet, with Herbert following him closely. Marietta's trial was supposed to be tomorrow but its obviously off so now we just have to do the paper work."

Angelina, who had been listening in, leaned in closer across George. "So what happens to her now?"

Draco sighed. "Not much actually. She has no immediate family apart from Redwood and he has already been notified. St. Mungo's will take care of her corpse and dispose of it the same way they do with others where there's no family to claim it."

Angelina nodded. "That makes sense. Though it is absolutely horrible."

Draco merely shrugged, unconcerned with Marietta's fate. In his mind, she wasn't able to go to Azkaban where they surely would have put her. So what had happened to her was probably for the best.

Hermione leaned in. "What are you three talking about?

Draco gave George and Angelina a single look and they got it immediately. George put on a wide grin. "Oh not much, we were just speculating what Charlie will do the day after tomorrow when he has to go back to Romania without his witch."

He winked at Hermione who made to answer but Harry, who was sitting in the other side of Hermione, heard snippets of George's question and yelped. "That reminds me! Charlie! Chaaarlie!"

Charlie looked up from the huge piece of roast on his plate. "What Harry?"

The entire table had gone quiet at Harry's undignified yells and Draco rolled his eyes. Why was it that the Boy Who Just Couldn't Seem To Hold His Drink decided that this question was a good plan of action? He scoffed internally, that was probably why he had been relying so much on Hermione's logic all through school. Ha hadn't much logic of his own

"What are you and Daphne gonna do now that your smooches are coming to an end, huh?" Harry slurred his words. He just _couldn't_ hold his bloody drink.

Daphne smirked and Charlie just grinned and whispered something in her ear. She nodded encouragingly and he turned back to the table. "Well, now that you've brought it up and everyone is actually listening for once-"

There were a lot of eye rolls, grumbles and poor jokes at that statement. Draco had always liked Charlie. "-our smooches will continue indefinitely because my brilliant witch here, has managed to get an apprenticeship with my old master in Romania. We're _both_ leaving for Romania in two days."

His happy grin was completely infectious and everyone jumped up to congratulate them. Draco couldn't be happier for them, they both deserved to have found each other.

The evening was merry and much more fun than he had been expecting, all things considered.

Though he yearned to be alone with his witch and she was just acting as if nothing had happened today. Or really any day. He sighed and wondered if he would ever actually be allowed by her to take care of her if she wasn't in the sick bed.

He shook his head in frustration.

That was just one of the consequences of being in love with Hermione Granger.

* * *

When they got home to his massive flat from the Burrow, Draco threw his hands up in exasperation. "Okay. I do love you, so could you _please_ just try not to put yourself in fucking danger _every_ second of _every_ goddamn day?"

She sidled up to him with a mischievous expression. "Oh hush you. It was only a little flesh wound. They healed it in literally five seconds. And our evening at the Burrow has been lovely. There was no danger there."

He ground his teeth, obviously trying to stay sulky with her while she was caressing him with a little happy smirk. He wasn't swayed from his point though. "A couple of inches to the right could have killed you instantly."

She smiled, taking pity on him. "Well, then shouldn't we just be happy that that wasn't the case?"

He rolled his eyes but she could spot the smile within them. "You are completely impossible. You know that right?"

She winked and a smiled was playing on her lips. "Then I just hope that you still love me in spite of?"

He shook his head, annoyed and yet resigned to her antics. "I love you because of. Because I love all of you. Even those shitty reckless parts."

She laughed and he took her into his arms, causing her to just _melt_ into his delicious kisses.

– _The end –_


End file.
